As the high-intensity ICC Champions Trophy match between India and Pakistan is  coming closer, India all-rounder Irfan Pathan reckons that India will be favorites in the match and pacer Mohammed Shami will play a crucial role for the men-in-blue in the CT 2017.

Irfan was part of the triumphant Indian team which lifted the Champions Trophy in 2013, in order to succeed in English conditions, a pacer needs to seam the bowl well. He feels that Shami is well capable of doing the same. He said, "What's important in England is to hit the seam well. If you can keep bowling in the right areas and hit the seam, I think that's the best way to go for the bowlers."

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Pathan further elaborated, "With the kind of form our frontline pacers -- Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav -- are in at the moment, I am sure India can do really well in the Champions Trophy. With the amount of experience they have in the home season and the Indian Premier League (IPL), I think they are up for the challenge in England."

Irfan was India's frontline pacer with his ability to swing bowling in the 2004 tour of Pakistan, said he was enthralled by the young duo of Bhuvneshwar and Japrit Bumrah in One-day Internationals besides hailing Shami for having one of the best seam positions in world cricket.