The Indians are likely to retain the same team that prevailed over holders Australia in the quarterfinal though the think tank may be tempted to include a seamier considering the conditions of the PCA stadium pitch.
Since spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has done a decent job in the two matches he has played so far, it is unlikely that he will be disturbed to accommodate a pacer nor is the team management keen to sacrifice a batsman.
Amid all the excitement and tension, Indian fans will also be hoping that Sachin Tendulkar, who has been in very good form right through the tournament, achieves the memorable milestone of scoring his 100th international century.
Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Raina, who is expected to be retained in the team, have enough talent and skill to put the runs on the board.
Pakistan, on the other hand, have played like a unit and have gelled quite well despite being plagued by match-fixing scandals and an unending sequence of controversies.
The team has largely depended on their bowlers to reach the semis and the batting looks a little suspect. Younis Khan and Misbah-ul Haq are the two experienced batsmen though the youngsters have a lot of talent.
The pitch at the PCA Stadium sports some grass and the fast bowlers will have more purchase from the wicket than the spinners.
Another factor, which is expected to play a role in the outcome of the match, is dew. Over the last few days there has been heavy dew with the outfield being wet at night.
Teams (from):
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, R Ashwin, Munaf Patel, Ashish Nehra, Piyush Chawla, Suresh Raina, S Sreesanth.
Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Ahmed Shahzad.
Umpires: Simon Taufel and Ian Gould (both on-field), Billy Bowden (third umpire), Rod Tucker (fourth umpire). Ranjan Madugalle (match referee).
The winner of the clash will meet Sri Lanka in Saturday’s final in Mumbai.
1 comments:
India is very good
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