ICC Champions Trophy 2017 match preview - Group B: India vs Pakistan

Sport360 staff 23:13 01/06/2017
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  • Fiercest of rivals: India and Pakistan.

    INDIA FOCUS

    Reports of a rift between India captain Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble have somewhat shifted the attention ahead of the team’s campaign to win a second straight Champions Trophy.

    As India prepare to begin their tournament against fierce rivals Pakistan in Birmingham on Sunday, the Indian media is abuzz with rumours of differences between Kohli and Kumble.

    With Kumble’s one-year contract ending this month, the Indian board’s move to advertise the job ahead of the 50-over showpiece event raised eyebrows.

    The deadline for applications ended on Wednesday. However, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar believes the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was just “following procedure”.

    Gavaskar, attempting to reassure fans, said an invitation for applications did not reflect tensions in the Kohli-Kumble relationship.

    “You will never have a situation when the captain and coach of any country is on the same page,” Gavaskar said.

    “It is impossible for that to happen because the coach had played in the earlier generation and that’s why the approach may be slightly different from the current generation.”

    “It might not be something actually happening on the field – it could be something to do with practice sessions or team combinations,” the former captain added.

    “I don’t think that should be taken too seriously because these discussions are healthy for the team.”

    PAKISTAN FOCUS

    When Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali described the huge clash with India as “just another game” – that certainly raised a few eyebrows and for many millions of people, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

    Indeed, the two cricketing giants relish a rivalry like no other. The tension has only built as they rarely meet nowadays unless it is in a multi-nation event.

    They last clashed during the 2016 World T20 tournament in India – in which the hosts triumphed comfortably.

    The ICC has virtually admitted to tweaking the draws for group stages at global competitions so both teams meet each other – rather than running the risk of the two not colliding in the later stages.

    Pakistan have been based in Birmingham for the best part of two weeks and enjoyed warm-up fixtures at Edgbaston – that should have really helped Micky Arthur’s side to acclimatise.

    Last time out, Pakistan triumphed in an all-format series win over West Indies as well as upsetting the odds in England last year to draw a competitive Test series 2-2.

    DATE, TIME, VENUE INFO

    Date: Sunday – June 4, 2017

    Time: 13:30 GST, 10:30 local, 09:30 GMT, 15:00 IST, 14:30 PKT

    Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham

    WHERE TO WATCH, LIVE STREAMING INFO

    TV: UAE – OSN Sports Cricket HD

    Full coverage on Sport360.com.

    CONFIRMED INDIA XI: Sharma, Dhawan, Kohli (c), Yuvraj, Dhoni (wk), Jadhav, Pandya, Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar, Umesh, Bumrah.

    CONFIRMED PAKISTAN XI: Shehzad, Azhar, Azam, Hafeez, Malik, Sarfraz (c, wk), Imad, Shadab, Riaz, Amir, Hasan.

    SPORT360 MATCH PREDICTION: It’s a very tight one to call. Pakistan have enjoyed good preparation in Birmingham. However, if India’s main man – Virat Kohli – finds form then they have the star quality to win.

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