On a Sunday evening in Dubai, two cricketing neighbors with a long and charged history met in the opening round of the T20 World Cup, where Pakistan's captain Babar Azam, reading the coming dew as an ally, chose to field first. Behind the choice lies a rivalry that has rarely been gentle, and a record that has so far leaned entirely toward India, five wins from five meetings in this tournament. It is the kind of moment where a single decision about the toss can feel like a statement about the whole past between two nations.
Pakistan Wins Toss, Elects to Bowl First Against India in T20 World Cup Opener
Five meetings, five Indian wins, and Pakistan chose to chase
Mark
Pakistan chose to bowl first. Why does that choice matter?
Mimi
Babar Azam said he expects dew in the second half. Dew makes the ball slippery, so the side batting second may have an easier time. He also wants early wickets to put India under pressure.
Luke
To be clear, the dew is his expectation, not something reported as having happened. We only know what he anticipated.
Mark
And the history here is lopsided, isn't it?
Mimi
India has won all five previous T20 World Cup meetings with Pakistan. That is the weight Pakistan walks in carrying.
Luke
It's a real record, but it says nothing about how this match will go. Reporting at the toss can't tell us that.
Mark
Any surprises in the selections?
Mimi
Pakistan left out young batter Haider Ali and went with the experience of Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez. India left out Rahul Chahar and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Luke
The source gives the omissions but not the reasons. Why Pakistan preferred veterans is our inference at best, and I wouldn't lean on it.
Mark
What did Kohli say?
Mimi
He asked his team to stay focused and professional, and not to get overawed.
El Pulso
- Pakistan won the toss and sent India in to bat, putting the pressure of an old rivalry on the opening over.
- India has won all five previous T20 World Cup meetings, and every ball carries the weight of that unbroken record.
- Babar Azam is betting on dew in the second half to slicken the ball and force early wickets before India can settle.
- Both sides have locked in three pacers and two spinners, with each captain shaping an eleven around the conditions.
- The result will shape Group 2, where New Zealand, Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland are still waiting to see who advances.
On a Sunday evening in Dubai, two cricketing neighbors with a long and charged history met in the opening round of the T20 World Cup, where Pakistan's captain Babar Azam, reading the coming dew as an ally, chose to field first. Behind the choice lies a rivalry that has rarely been gentle, and a record that has so far leaned entirely toward India, five wins from five meetings in this tournament. It is the kind of moment where a single decision about the toss can feel like a statement about the whole past between two nations.
In Dubai on Sunday, Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and chose to field first against India, opening both teams' Super 12 campaigns at the T20 World Cup. The match carries the weight of an old rivalry, and a record hangs over it: India has won all five previous T20 World Cup meetings between the two sides.
Babar's reasoning was practical. He expected dew to settle in the second half, making the ball harder for bowlers to grip, and he wanted early wickets to put India under pressure from the start.
Both teams chose three fast bowlers and two spinners. India left out Rahul Chahar and Ravichandran Ashwin, while Pakistan dropped young batter Haider Ali in favour of the experience of Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez. Kohli urged his players to stay focused and not be overawed by the occasion.
The two teams share Group 2 with New Zealand, Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland, so this opener is the first of several matches that will decide who advances. The question is whether Pakistan's gamble on chasing and the dew can break a record that has so far run entirely in India's favour.
In Dubai on Sunday, Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and chose to field first against India, opening both teams' Super 12 campaigns at the T20 World Cup. The match carries the weight of an old rivalry, and a particular record hangs over it: India has won all five of the previous T20 World Cup games between the two sides.
Babar's reasoning was practical. He expected dew to settle on the ground in the second half of the match, a condition that tends to make the ball harder for bowlers to grip. His stated aim was to take early wickets and put India under pressure from the start.
Both teams settled on the same balance: three fast bowlers and two spinners. For India, that meant leaving out Rahul Chahar and Ravichandran Ashwin. Pakistan made a choice of its own in the batting order, leaving out young batter Haider Ali and going instead with the experience of Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez in the middle order.
India's eleven is KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (captain), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah.
Pakistan's side is Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf.
Kohli, for his part, said he wanted his team to stay focused and professional. His message to the players was not to get overawed by the occasion.
The two teams share Group 2 with New Zealand, Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland, so this opener is the first of several matches that will decide who advances. What to watch is whether Pakistan's decision to chase, and the dew it is counting on, can break a record that has so far run entirely in India's favour.
Citas Notables
Kohli told his team not to get overawed and to stay focused and professional.— Virat Kohli, India captain
Babar Azam expects dew in the second half and wants early wickets to pressure India.— Babar Azam, Pakistan captain
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