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Harbhajan Singh, the former Indian spinner, recently expressed his belief that India will face more pressure than Pakistan in their highly anticipated clash during the ICC Cricket World Cup on October 15 at the Ahmedabad stadium. According to the 42-year-old, playing on home soil will amplify the pressure on the hosts to secure victory against their arch-rivals.
Why India will be under too much pressure? Tells Harbhajan Singh
Describing it as a high-pressure game, Harbhajan emphasized that Pakistan would not bear as much pressure as India due to the latter playing in their own country. He acknowledged the significance of handling and absorbing such pressure and highlighted the immense accomplishment it would be to emerge victorious and bring joy to the nation.
“It will be a very high-pressure game. Pakistan will not be under as much pressure as India because India will be playing in India. So to handle and absorb that pressure and to win from there and bring a smile to everyone’s faces will be a huge thing,” Harbhajan said.
The right-arm off-break bowler underscored the unparalleled magnitude of the India-Pakistan encounter, asserting that nothing could surpass it in terms of significance. Reflecting on the 2011 Cricket World Cup semi-final between the arch-rivals, in which India emerged victorious by 29 runs, Harbhajan remarked that it felt like a final due to the intense pressure and expectations surrounding the match.
He recalled the weight of responsibility placed upon the players’ shoulders, not only from their relatives but also from the entire Indian population, regardless of their location.
“There cannot be anything bigger than that – India vs Pakistan. I remember the game, if I talk about 2011, according to me that semi-final was a semi-final by name, it was the final game.
“The pressure of that match, the expectations in that game from your relatives to entire India and wherever Indians are sitting, you just have to do one thing for them, and that is to win the match,” he concluded.
Shifting focus to the ICC World Cup 2023 schedule, the Pakistan team has a series of crucial matches ahead. They will face Qualifier 1 in Hyderabad on October 6, followed by another encounter against Qualifier 2 on October 12, also in Hyderabad.
The highly anticipated clash against India in Ahmedabad is scheduled for October 15. Subsequent matches include a game against Australia in Bengaluru on October 20, a match against Afghanistan in Chennai on October 23, and a face-off with South Africa in Chennai on October 27.
The team will then play against Bangladesh in Kolkata on October 31, followed by a match against New Zealand in Bengaluru on November 4 (a day match), and their final group stage encounter against England in Kolkata on November 12.
The schedule features day matches starting at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST), while all other matches will be day-night fixtures commencing at 01:30 pm PST. As the tournament unfolds, cricket fans around the world eagerly await these thrilling encounters, which are sure to captivate audiences with their intensity and competitive spirit.
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