Irfan Pathan, the erstwhile India all-rounder who is remembered for his historic hat-trick against Pakistan during a Test match, feels that India has a huge advantage over their arch-nemesis in the Champions Trophy encounter on Sunday.
Pathan pointed to India's strong team balance, current form, and recent performances as key reasons why they are ahead of Pakistan. However, he also issued a word of caution, emphasizing that in an India-Pakistan match, handling the occasion matters more than just skills.
Talking to IANS, Pathan emphasized the encouraging beginning India made in the tournament, especially singling out Mohammed Shami's five-wicket haul in the first match against Bangladesh.
"India is playing very well. The manner in which they began, the Bangladesh campaign was great. Nice to see Shami taking a fifer. It will give him confidence, particularly after returning from injury," said Pathan, who will play for India Masters in the International Masters League (IML) at DY Patil Stadium.
Strengths of Team India
Pathan, who is rated among India's best left-arm pacers, feels India's team is balanced, especially in the all-round section.
"We have strong all-round skills in the side. Axar Patel is taking wickets, and we have many options available. Shubman Gill is in fantastic nick, and once Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli begin scoring regularly, this side will be impossible to stop," he said.
Pakistan's Challenges
Conversely, Pathan added a few problems in the Pakistan team, which will be captained by Mohammad Rizwan in the decisive encounter.
"Pakistan has a lot of issues. Some of their older players do not play attacking modern-day white-ball cricket. They can turn it around but it's not easy," he said.
In spite of all these factors, Pathan went on to repeat that the match would eventually depend on which side handles pressure.
"It's not strengths and weaknesses alone, but the ability to deal with the occasion. India has demonstrated in recent times that we know how to deal with big games, and in one-day cricket, our talent keeps us way ahead of Pakistan."
Yusuf Pathan: "Pressure is on Pakistan"
Irfan's older brother Yusuf Pathan, a member of India Masters in the IML as well, concurred with his views.
"Definitely, the pressure is on Pakistan because they have lost one game already, while we have won our first one. In ICC events, the pressure is always on them,"
said Yusuf.
He went on to say that India's in-form squad would make them the favorites for Sunday's encounter.
"All the Indian players are playing well, so they are confident. It should be a good match for us."*
Experienced in Indo-Pak Clashes
Both Irfan and Yusuf Pathan have had first-hand experience of high-pressure India-Pakistan encounters. They were members of the Indian team that won the 2007 T20 World Cup, in which they beat Pakistan in the final.
Moreover, Irfan was instrumental in India's 2013 Champions Trophy victory, while Yusuf was part of the 2011 World Cup-winning team, in which India beat Pakistan in the semifinals.
With the two countries preparing for another high-pressure showdown, the Pathan brothers—having been on the winning side previously—will be watching anxiously, hoping for yet another Indian win over Pakistan.
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