India v Pakistan – Asia Cup , Bowlers Preview

Pakistani Bowlers To Watch out For 

Historic rivals Pakistan and India are all set to clash in the 5^th match of the ongoing Asia Cup, on March 18 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

Pakistan currently dominates the series points table, having won both of the two matches they’ve played. The Men In Green went into the Asia Cup following a disastrous time in the limited-overs leg of their series against England last month, when they were humbled in the ODIs 0-4, following their 3-0 Test whitewash of the Poms.

Their only consolation was the consistently deadly performances of their bowlers, and it has remained their strength in the Asia Cup. In their first match, the visitors’ bowling attack was successful in cutting Bangladesh off in the 49^th over, 21 runs short of the target, and they continued in the same vein during their second match, leaving Sri Lanka all out by the 46^th over.

Saeed Ajmal 

Spin maestro Saeed Ajmal remained the terror of the English batsmen earlier this year in UAE, bowling one baffling delivery after the other, never allowing his opponents to settle. Ajmal claimed an astonishing 24 wickets in the Test series, where he played a pivotal role in his team’s subsequent victory, and followed it up with 10 scalps in 4 ODIs and 5 wickets during the 3-match T20 series.

Ajmal continued to wreak havoc on opposing batsmen in the ongoing Asia Cup – he claimed 2 for 45 in the match against the host team on March 11, and followed that up with a 3 for 27 against the Lankans. He is currently at the top of the tournament record list for most wickets, with 5 scalps at an average of 14.40, and an impressive economy rate of 3.85.

To battle the growing threat of Sachin Tendulkar, Pakistan may have no better choice than the 34-year-old off-spinner, who got the best of the Indian great the last time the two teams clashed in the ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final last March.

Umar Gul

 After picking up 11 wickets in the UAE Test series against England, and following it up with a 5-wicket burst in the T20s, Umar Gul is currently one of the most prized weapons in the Pakistani pace arsenal. He went on to claim 3 for 58 against Bangladesh, and 2 for 20 against Mahela Jayawardene’s side.

The right-arm pacer is ranked at number 2 on the Asia Cup record list for most wickets taken, with 5 scalps at an average of 15.60 and an economy rate of 4.54 to his name. Pakistan will be relying on the 27-year-old to make a dent in the formidable Indian batting order.

                                                    Shahid Afridi 

 The gulf between the two teams lies in the bowling. Both attacks are spin-heavy, but Pakistan's is a league ahead in terms of experience and penetration, with the likes of Shahid Afridi. Ajmal's doosras derailed Sri Lanka in the batting Powerplay and from that point on Sri Lanka were playing catch-up. India failed to run through the Bangladesh batting but they were still well-placed to defend 290.

                                                   Aizaz Cheema

After an impressive debut series against Zimbabwe, Cheema has become an pivotal fugure in the Men In Green bowling line. The underrated pacer again managed to prove his worth in the Asia Cup. He started out slow, claiming 1 for 47, but burst into the spotlight with a crucial 4 for 43 against Sri Lanka.

The medium-pacer made his international debut at the age of 31, in 2011 against Zimbabwe, and went on to pick up 8 wickets in the Test match. Since then, he has played 6 Tests and 11 ODIs, with 20 wickets in each format.

The 32-year-old currently ranks at number 3 on the tournament records for most wickets, with 5 scalps at an average of 18.00 to his name. If his performance in the previous match is anything to go by, the Indian batsmen will need to be on their guard against the Pakistani pacer.