India vs http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 – 1st T20 – Match Preview - Part 1
The start of the highly-anticipated series between India and Pakistan is all set to enthrall cricket fans all over the world, as the two sub-continent giants meet in the first T20I, played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
It is the first bilateral series between the two sides since Pakistan last toured India in 2007, after which the relationship hit breaking point following the 2008 terror attacks in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750.
Ultimately, given BCCI’s influence, the tour was given a go ahead, with India picked as the most suitable venue. Regardless of all such facts, the reality of the situation is that after a period of prolonged discussions, both boards have finally managed to find middle ground from where the resumption of cricketing ties can take place.
However, what the tour holds on a larger scale remains to be seen. Sandwiched between http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013’s two-legged tour of India, the series is certainly one for the fans, and to an extent, for the boards to evaluate how far the two have come in terms of patching up their relationship.
A lot has changed since the two teams last met in 2007. Though they have battled each other in multinational tournaments, the current bouts will surely provide both sides a fair crack at each other as opposed to solitary clashes, where the Indians have generally had the better of their arch-rivals.
In 2007, the Men in Green had the services of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Harbhajan-Singh-c61453. Some have gone on to retire, while others have grown leaps and bounds to become permanent features. For a few, it has been a steep road where they have found it difficult to get back in the reckoning.
The itinerary announced does not include Test matches, and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Thomas-George-Burrows-c93472hough it won’t affect the euphoria surrounding the series, for a cricket fanatic, it will still be disappointing to not see the biggest rivals battle it out in the largest format. India is in the middle of a baffling Test decline, and it would have been great to see them don the whites and prove their mettle once again. However, their shorter version(s) showings have been promising, if not exactly intimidating, and they will relish the chance of giving something back to the fans after suffering an uncharacteristic defeat at the hands of the touring Englishmen.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MS-Dhoni-c2028 will be itching to get the Indian fans behind him, and what better way to prove that he is the right man to lead the Indian team than defeating their neighbours. However, he will need fair support from his teammates, and the shorter format seems his best option to extract the most.
His cool approach generally tends to flourish in the limited-overs arena, where he often proves his match-winning mettle even if the team performs poorly as unit. Same goes for the senior players in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/V-Sehwag-c2739, and it is no secret the Yuvraj’s and the Kohli’s also have greater appetites for the shorter version.
Continued in Part 2….
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