India and Pakistan to clash on September 2 in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
The two archrivals will clash for the first time since their T20 World Cup 2023 encounter and this time the format will be 50 overs. The last time they clashed in a 50-over game was in the 2019 World Cup in Manchester, a game that India won.
Ahead of the highly anticipated clash, Australia’s two-time World Cup winner Tom Moody said the India vs. Pakistan clash has plenty of storylines and it even surpasses the iconic Ashes, a Test series played between England and Australia.
“I think this match surpasses the Ashes. It’s always got a lovely story to it, and both are outstanding cricketing nations,” Moody said on Star Sports.
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Moody added it is Pakistan’s bowling against India’s batting in the contest. He stressed Pakistan could be caught short for not having enough depth in their batting department.
“When you look at that Pakistan squad, it does boast a lot of talent. But one thing that stands out for me is that it also boasts experience. So now they have the combination of experience and talent, they are a real threat.
They can match India with their pace bowling; they’ve got genuine pace on their side, and the only issue I see them potentially having is the depth in the quality of their batting which India has got. So that’s going to be the interesting pressure that they put on the likes of Babar Azam at the top of the order,” he added.
Also, the former all-rounder said that Shaheen Shah Afridi will be vital for the Pakistan bowling attack.
“I just think that Shaheen Afridi with the new ball is a major threat, which he has done historically. Broken through with that new ball, manages to blow away a couple of early wickets, which then opens up the middle order for India to resurrect things. Particularly for a middle order that hasn’t had a lot of game time,” said Moody.