We could witness a cracker of a game

There was never any likelihood of the T20 World Cup match between archrivals India and Pakistan not taking place. But when politics enters the scene and politicians try and earn brownie points, there will always be drama created by leaks and innuendos and a lot of hot air.

To the credit of both teams, they remained focused on the tasks at hand. They wanted to best the emerging teams in their group and ensure qualification to the next stage of the tournament. The manner in which both won their first two matches is, in itself, an indicator that we might get to witness a cracker of a game.

India will be sweating on the availability of Abhishek Sharma, who did not play but was present at the ground when India faced Namibia. Whether Abhishek is match-ready is what the Indian think-tank will probably decide a few hours before the spin of the coin.

The pitches in Colombo have been on the slower side, unlike the ones in Mumbai and Delhi, where India played their opening two games. India could thus be tempted to bring in Washington Sundar, who can purvey his offies as well as give added heft and depth to the batting order.

Another talking point has been about off-spinner Usman Tariq from Pakistan. He caused a few problems to the Aussies and there has been a lot of debate about the legality of his action and the pause he takes before releasing the ball.

There is nothing in the rules that say how much a bowler can pause just like there is nothing in the rules asking the batter not to move before the ball is released. Pakistan will have the advantage of having been in Sri Lanka for the last 10 days and having had a feel of the conditions.

As always in this format, the PowerPlays indicate how the game is likely to turn out. The catching will be crucial and the team that saves that extra run will end up smiling more than the other.

(Professional Management Group)