In the lead-up to the World Cup, the legendary bowler Waqar Younis gave India the edge over Pakistan, basing his assessment on the Rohit Sharma-led team’s superior pre-tournament training. Scroll down to read more details about Waqar Younis rates India as a better side than Pakistan.
Waqar Younis rates India as a better side than Pakistan
India had just won the Asia Cup and had just defeated their traditional opponents by a whopping 228 runs in a Super 4 game in Colombo. On October 14 in Ahmedabad, India will play Pakistan in a World Cup match. According to Younis, pressure will be on both teams, although the Men in Blue may have an advantage.
Younis stated to Star Sports, “As everyone is aware, India vs. Pakistan will be the most important game. As a result, you will need to maintain composure when playing in Ahmedabad, and not just because Pakistan is a poorer squad than India. But India will also be under pressure because the stadium crowd will create pressure on both teams.”
He also said that India would undoubtedly be a better team. Only if the judgments were made based on team performance.
Younis warned that the Pakistanis’ erratic play and the loss of bowler Naseem Shah due to injury might give them a considerable edge.
He said, “Pakistan is a hit and a miss this time if I talk about them. Because Naseem and Shaheen (Afridi) used to compliment each other with fresh balls, Naseem’s disappearance will be a major setback.”
Even though Hasan Ali has been named as his replacement, Younis felt that it would be difficult for him to suddenly appear on such a large platform and perform. Hasan Ali has a lot of experience and has had excellent performances in the past.
Younis analyzed the Indian team and noted that it boasts excellent spinners as well as a strong bench.
He continued, “If we merely speak about checking the boxes, it would become clear that no side can now compete with India since they have effective spinners like Kuldeep and Jadeja who are currently playing in the starting XI. They do, however, have significant bench strength.”