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The team form of Pakistan Champions has been the strongest in the tournament so far. They have won 4 out of their 5 matches and one match was abandoned due to rain. The team combination is quite balanced, bowling has been their biggest strength. In the last match they bowled out Australia Champions for just 74, in which Saeed Ajmal took 6 wickets giving away just 10 runs. Imad Wasim also gave support and in batting Sharjeel Khan and Sohaib Maqsood chased the target without losing a wicket in just 7.5 overs. Earlier also they have given consistent performances - be it chasing or defending, Pakistan Champions have appeared dominant in every situation. With this form, their confidence will be sky high in the final.
India Champions' campaign has been up-down but they made a comeback in the last match and qualified for the semi-final. In the first three matches, the team had two defeats and one rain-affected match but in the crucial last match, they chased the target of 145 against West Indies Champions in just 13.2 overs. Stuart Binny became the hero there and played a match-winning knock of 50* (21) and also took figures of 2/17 in bowling. Piyush Chawla and Varun Aaron also made important breakthroughs. Shikhar Dhawan gave a solid start and the middle order completed the job. The team's momentum has now returned, but they will have to give their best against an in-form team like Pakistan. If wickets fall early, they have depth, but the performance will have to be consistent.
The Edgbaston pitch is balanced in T20 matches. Fast bowlers get swing and seam in the start of the match, especially if the weather is cloudy. The ball moves because of the grass and batting becomes a little difficult. But as the match progresses, the pitch becomes flat and batting becomes easy. Spinners also get a little help in the second innings when the pitch becomes dry. Fast bowlers have taken more wickets here but spinners are also useful in the end.
The average first innings score on this ground is around 145 and in the second innings it is 126. The team batting first gets a little advantage, so people often choose to bat after winning the toss. The boundary size is also quite small, the square side is around 50 meters and the straight side is around 60 meters, so batsmen prefer to bat on the short side. Overall, the Edgbaston pitch gives some advantage to every type of player, but bowlers shine in the beginning and batsmen in the end.
Till now only one match was scheduled between India Champions and Pakistan Champions in World Championship of Legends, but that match also was abandoned due to political tension. Both the teams were scheduled to face each other in the league stage of the tournament, but India backed out of the match due to national mood and security concerns. Because of this, there is only one head-to-head in the official records, in which neither anyone won nor anyone lost – the match had no result. So till now the H2H record is officially 1 match, 0 wins for both teams, and 1 no result. Now when both the teams are going to clash in the semi-final, the same atmosphere of political tension has been created again. India had earlier refused to play against Pakistan and now a big match like the semi-final is also in uncertainty. Sponsors like EaseMyTrip have also officially withdrawn from this match, and some players like Shikhar Dhawan have openly said that they will not play against Pakistan. So, this semi-final match can also mostly get cancelled or be managed through some alternative way. But if the match does take place, it will be the first fully official contest for both the teams – in which cricketing tension along with political pressure will be at its peak.
Sharjeel Khan, Kamran Akmal(w), Fawad Alam, Umar Amin, Asif Ali, Shoaib Malik(c), Imad Wasim, Aamer Yamin, Sohail Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal
Injury Update: None
Robin Uthappa(w), Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh(c), Yusuf Pathan, Stuart Binny, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Abhimanyu Mithun, Varun Aaron, Pawan Negi, Gurkeerat Singh Mann
Injury Updates: None
Disclaimer: CricOpinion provides predictions based on analysis, understanding, and intuition. Refer to records and stats before making decisions. You are not bound to follow these predictions. CricOpinion is not responsible for any losses, damages, or consequences resulting from the use of this information.
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