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.

Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has expressed concerns about the lack of progression in Pakistani cricket, stating that there is a significant amount of time where they do not compete against competitive competition. Misbah stated that the limited amount of games against very competitive teams like India, England, and Australia is a big factor in how cricket is developed internationally.

Misbah stated that Pakistan is often left with lesser quality teams to play against, as those types of teams are not beneficial for either the development or the improvement of the team. "If Pakistan is not playing India, and only playing big teams like England and Australia once every two years, but then continuously plays lesser teams, then how will the Pakistan cricket team improve?" He echoes the sentiments from many circles of cricket about the uneven schedule and opportunity.

Misbah says Pakistan needs more games against top teams

The lack of competitive games against each other is mainly because there have been no bilateral series between India and Pakistan, due to political instability and India's policy on sports relations, so Pakistan and India can only engage in the multilateral sport events, like the Asia Cup and ICC tournaments. This policy restricts high-stakes contests to a few per year, which not only does not give Pakistan access to information against one of the strongest sides in cricket, but also means that more opportunities will benefit Pakistan, and it is not limited to India.

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Misbah stated that even playing England and Australia is infrequent, every two years or so, in many cases. There is no doubt that without regularly competing at that level, Pakistani players will only sharpen their skills against inferior competition, which will compromise their ability to improve at the same level as the other cricketing nations. 

Misbah's concern is bigger than just the scheduling; it is about how Pakistan can sustain its position in world cricket. Regularly playing the best teams in the world is the best way to test skill, temperament, and how a player builds endurance, plans, and confidence. Without the benefit of this access, it will curtail the progress of the team.

In short, Misbah-ul-Haq's comments are an urgent request of cricket administrations and policy-makers. If Pakistan is to truly have a fighting chance against the best in the world, regular access to quality cricket is vital; what they are doing is taking away, and it is adversely affecting the progress of Pakistan cricket.