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Looking back at the 2017 Champions Trophy Final, we see the last ICC meeting between India and Pakistan. Mohammad Amir played a starring role, dismantling a powerhouse top order featuring Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and Virat Kohli. By removing these key wickets, he derailed India's pursuit of 339 runs. Pakistan cruised to a comfortable victory, proving a simple but effective blueprint: if you can neutralize India's top order, the path to victory opens up.
Historically, despite their brilliance, India's top batsmen have often struggled when the ball swings and seams. In those specific conditions, a high-quality pace attack can put them under immense pressure. However, they've grown stronger since that painful final. Rohit Sharma's recent unbeaten 122 against South Africa in the 2019 World Cup opener—scored under difficult conditions—is a testament to his growth and maturity.India’s World Cup 2019 opener against South Africa showed how far he has come.
As these two historic rivals prepare for their seventh World Cup encounter, the game once again hinges on the critical battle between the Pakistani speedsters and India's top-order hitters.
Even though Shikhar Dhawan, a cornerstone of the batting lineup, is sidelined with a thumb injury, the intensity remains high. The match will be a high-stakes duel between Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli on one side, and the pace trio of Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi, and Wahab Riaz on the other.
While KL Rahul hasn't yet faced the two left-arm pacers in an ODI, Rohit and Kohli are well-acquainted with their style. Amir enters this match in scorching form, fresh off a five-wicket haul against Australia. Wahab Riaz has also been a key contributor; his five-wicket haul against India back in the 2015 World Cup ensures the Indian camp isn't underestimating him. Kohli and Rohit have faced these bowlers frequently, and the numbers tell an interesting story:
vs Mohammad Amir
Rohit: 62 balls, 38 runs, 1 dismissal
Kohli: 24 balls, 20 runs, 1 dismissal
vs Wahab Riaz
Rohit: 18 balls, 23 runs, 0 dismissals
Kohli: 72 balls, 89 runs, 1 dismissal
Interestingly, the 2017 Champions Trophy Final is the only time Amir managed to dismiss both players. While Kohli hasn't faced him since, Rohit did during the 2018 Asia Cup, scoring 20 runs off 21 balls without losing his wicket. Against Riaz, Rohit remains undefeated and maintains a strike rate over 100. Kohli has faced 72 balls from Riaz and was only dismissed once—way back in 2011. Since then, the Indian captain has dominated the left-armer with an impressive strike rate of 123.61.
A broader look at the stats reveals that Kohli and Rohit average 45.90 and 44.61 respectively against Pakistan. Conversely, Amir and Riaz have struggled to contain them, with bowling averages of 42.80 and 37.55. These figures challenge the narrative that India's top order is terrified of Pakistani pace. For India, this is a chance to prove that the 2017 disaster was just a fluke; for Pakistan's bowlers, it's an opportunity to show they can consistently dominate the Indian lineup.
Written by: Prasenjit Dey