Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly has claimed the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 clash between the Blues and their noisy neighbors Pakistan is too close to call. The legendary batter believes both are excellent teams and could outclass the other on their day.
Ganguly cannot call a favorite in the India-Pakistan clash
India and Pakistan are two of the most prestigious cricketing nations in the world. The neighbors share a thorny history and thus have the fiercest rivalry in the sport, with each doing everything in their power to overcome the other. The two teams will renew their rivalry in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 clash on September 2, and former India captain Ganguly simply cannot separate the two.
Speaking to the press in Kolkata, the former BCCI president said:
“It would be tough for me to name the favorite to win the match. Both the teams are really good. Pakistan have a good team, India too are really solid. Whoever plays well will win, I don’t think there’s anyone favorite as such. Whoever plays well will emerge victorious.”
Ganguly, who played his last-ever ODI against Pakistan in November 2007, also addressed the selection controversy surrounding Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal. The selectors picked Patel ahead of the more accomplished Chahal for the Asia Cup 2023, sparking debate.
The 51-year-old, however, defended Patel’s selection, stating that his superior batting skills made him a lucrative choice.
Ganguly added:
“You can only have three spinners and I think they have done the right thing by picking Axar (Patel), he can bat.”
What happened the last time India met Pakistan?
In their last encounter, an inspired Virat Kohli carried India to a memorable win over their arch-rivals. Kohli scored an unbeaten 82 off 53 balls to help his side chase down Pakistan’s 159 at the ICC World T20 in October. Their last ODI meeting came at the ICC Cricket World Cup in June 2019, a game which India won by 89 runs.
The encounter in Kandy (Sri Lanka) on September 2 will mark India and Pakistan’s 14th meeting at the ODI Asia Cup. Out of the previous 13 matches, India won seven times, Pakistan won five times, and one match was washed out.
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