IND vs PAK Preview: Ahmedabad gears up to host cricket’s biggest rivalry

The all-important clash of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is almost here. India and Pakistan are all set to take on each other in Match 12 on Saturday, October 14 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Both teams are coming in the game having won both of their matches so far in the tournament.

India beat Australia and Afghanistan in their first two matches to occupy the third spot on the points table with a net run rate of +1.500. On the other hand, Pakistan beat the Netherlands and Sri Lanka in their two matches and find themselves on the fourth spot on the points table with a net run rate of +0.927.

Notably, India have an upper hand over Pakistan in ODI World Cup history. They have beaten them on all the seven occasions the two teams have met each other in the mega event. However, the Men in Blue will be wary of the threat that Pakistan pose as they recently chased down the highest target (345) in World Cup history. The chase happened due to centuries from Mohammad Rizwan (131 off 121) and Abdullah Shafique (113 off 103).

The upcoming fixture promises to be an enthralling affair. The two teams always put on a show for the ages whenever they face each other in the World Cup.

Pitch Report

There have been a total of 27 ODIs played at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Out of which 14 matches have been won by teams batting first. The average first innings score in the last five ODIs has been 246. While the highest target chased at the venue is 325. In recent times the pitch has been a belter of a track to bat on which was evident in the opening game of the tournament between England and New Zealand.

The captain winning the toss is likely to bat first to make the most of the good batting conditions and to avoid the pressure of chasing in the high-voltage clash.

Probable Playing XIs