IMAGES from the ICC World Cup match played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
India's batters will have to counter a potent Pakistan bowling attack that can make an impact irrespective of the nature of the pitch.
The Indian team management has asked Axar Patel to be mentally ready as he could be asked to bat in the top six.
New Zealand are better organised and clinical in terms of execution and hence could start as the favourites in the first semi-final against Pakistan on Wednesday.
Asad Shafiq and Younus Khan made gritty centuries to lift Pakistan to 340 for six as England's bowlers toiled in perfect batting conditions on the second day of the final Test at The Oval on Friday.
Images from the Asia Cup final between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Dubai on Sunday.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh can beat each other on their day
Australia, on their first tour of Pakistan in 24 years, finished day three 205 behind but scored freely after resuming on five for no loss.
Rohit's men start overwhelming favourites but Shaheen, rain pose threat
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah took five wickets to help Pakistan crush England by 10 wickets in the final Test at The Oval on Sunday and level a fluctuating series 2-2.
IMAGES from the ICC World Cup match played between Australia and Pakistan in Bengaluru, on Friday.
Shinwari rattled the top order as he scalped three of the opening five wickets.
Suryakumar jumped in front of Pakistan captain Babar Azam and into third place on the latest list of T20I rankings for batters
IMAGES from the Asia Cup Super 4s match played between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Sharjah on Wednesday.
Fast bowler Dwaine Pretorius took a record 5-17 in South Africa's six-wicket victory.
Devon Conway's struck 63 to help the hosts score 173/7 in their 20 overs.
After a delay due to COVID and a postponement for another year, the Asia Cup 2022, hosted by Sri Lanka but played in the UAE due to the political and social turmoil in the island, finally kicked off on August 27.
'He is a really exciting talent and probably the guy I am looking forward to seeing the most this summer. I have seen the Aussies a lot and I have seen a lot of the Kiwis, but I am really excited to see him'
KL Rahul has struggled at the top of the order, managing just 36 runs at a strike rate of 90 in the first two matches against Pakistan and Hong Kong.
James Taylor made a calm unbeaten 67 to lead England to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Pakistan in Sharjah on Tuesday and a 2-1 lead in the four-match one-day international series.
His right knee is currently believed to be in a brace. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has stated that it will take some time to make a proper assessment of the injury and give more information. Shaheen will fly back home via Mumbai with the rest of the side on Monday.
The Asia Cup to be played in Bangladesh from February 24, will be played in the T20 format for the first time in the tournament's history. The tournament which precedes the vital World T20 to be held in in India in March, has a rich history with India and Sri Lanka winning it five times each. Pakistan have been victorious on two occasions while Bangladesh's best finish has been their runner-up performance in the 2012 edition. Team India will be led by MS Dhoni and the tournament will also see Virat Kohli returning after taking a break from the recently concluded three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. Dhoni will be chasing history to become the most successful skipper in the tournament history. The Indian skipper and former Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga have both recorded same number of nine victories and four defeats in the Asia Cup All the matches will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur. The qualifying rounds involving Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Oman has begun from Friday.
Australia maintained their perfect record against the south Asians on home soil and continued their recent good form in Tests since retaining the Ashes in England.
Coming off a socio-economic crisis and the worst turmoil in its country's history, the Sri Lankan cricket team would like to provide the island nation with an emotional catharsis by beating fancied Pakistan in the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday.
Babar Azam (104) hit his second Test century and Mohammad Rizwan 95 to stall Australia's march to victory and once they had departed, Pakistan were soon all out for 335.
'They have got so much talent. And in the last 10 years when they have not been playing home Test matches (for security reasons), they have done a remarkable job to be as competitive as they have and continue to bring on the level of talented players they have.'
Zimbabwe shocked Pakistan by one run in a thrilling T20 World Cup Super 12 match at Perth Stadium, in Perth, on Thursday.
Thousands of fans from both countries have crisscrossed the globe to watch their team in action and trust rival captains Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam to tell you this is another 'match' for them, but all the 22 players and reserves know that this is 'The Match'.
The press briefing seemed a deliberate decision to let the army convey its angst to Imran directly, observes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RAW, India's external intelligence agency.
The Australian bowlers took the honours on a sunny day at the Gabba.
While Rohit Sharma will be eager to test his ultra-aggressive batting template against the Asian giants, for Virat Kohli it is the perfect platform to return to form after enduring a tough phase in the last few years.
Pakistan's ISI chief Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum said on Thursday that Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was given a "lucrative offer" in March by the then government amidst the political turmoil, as the powerful top spy launched a veiled attack on ousted premier Imran Khan at an unprecedented press conference.
At the end of it all, Dravid's one-year report card doesn't paint a rosy picture and a meticulous planner like him will sit back and think hard about the tough calls he might need to take before the ODI World Cup in a year's time.
It could be part of a deliberate strategy to heal divisions within and restore the Pakistan army's image, explains Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
Pakistan Army's spokesman in a short statement posted on Twitter said that Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed condolences.
The Railways Minister said gas stoves carried by some passengers blew up when they were preparing breakfast on the speeding train in violation of rules.
The Pakistan army is staring at the greatest, scariest, existential threat to its power in their country. This threat has come from a populist riding democratic power, observes Shekhar Gupta.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on Monday observed that Pakistani TV channels were "spreading vulgarity" and sought a record of all programmes against the judiciary as the Supreme Court heard an application against obscenity on television.
The military establishment is in no mood to forgive or forget Imran's anti-military utterances, observes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RAW, India's external intelligence agency.
Special NIA judge Gurvinder Singh Mehrotra, who had on October 27 pronounced the nine guilty, also sentenced two other accused to life imprisonment, besides awarding 10 years rigorous imprisonment to as many and seven years in jail to another convict.
