Misbah-ul-Haq: Early wickets will be absolutely crucial against India

Misbah-ul-Haq, former captain of Pakistan, has shared his thoughts on how Pakistan can emerge victorious against arch-rivals India. When asked about the rivalry encounter, Misbah stated that there is only one way that Pakistan can win the match, and that is by taking early wickets before completing the power play. 

“If India loses two early wickets, there’s no Virat. The rest of the batting order has never faced this bowling line-up before. If Pakistan can get early wickets, then we have a chance,” he said. His comments reflect Pakistan's historical tactic of trying to put pressure on the Indian batting order with early wickets. 

Misbah made two important points in his comments. First, he spoke about the importance of early wickets to take out the top order batsmen before India can't settle without Virat Kohli coming in behind. Kohli has always been a thorn for Pakistan in big pressure situations and often comes in and stabilizes the innings and leads the team to victory. Stopping him from directly affecting the game could swing things in Pakistan's favor.

Misbah says Pakistan’s key is early wickets but warns about no Kohli’s threat

Misbah mentioned, in detail, that India is "out of their middle order" experience against Pakistan. With a mixture of youth and pace on the Pakistani bowlers' side, if the fast bowlers can find that edge, they can put enough pressure on the Indian batters unfamiliar with pressure, so that they will find it difficult to break. Misbah suggested that if initial pressure is applied, it can be very difficult for the Indian middle order to recover.

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Somebody on social media mentioned Kohli's amazing record versus Pakistan, and Misbah agreed, admitting that sometimes it feels like the star Indian batter has the 'mental edge' versus Pakistan and has a habit of coming through in big moments versus them. Misbah explained that not only does Kohli have a habit of coming through with the bat, but he also helps give confidence to the rest of his team, which also plays an important role in Indo-Pak matches.

Overall, Misbah's comments reflected a fair amount of respect for the Indian batter while also being equally cautious. He encouraged Pakistan to think about what its main weapon would be, and its main weapon should be early wickets. However, he advised Babar Azam's side that Kohli is a person who can thrive under pressure.

As India and Pakistan are poised to lock horns once again, it is comments like Misbah's that spread further excitement into this occasion, while both teams are preparing for their multi-faceted tactical battle in what will be an incredible occasion in Indian and Pakistani sports history.