India - Pakistan...

Well, this is the 'Big' match.. India vs Pakistan. The champions trophy so far has made for good viewing in it that it has been an even contest between the bat and the ball with the pitches offering help for both seamers and spinners. India play their first game today against arch rivals Pakistan. Needless to say, this is a crucial game for both the teams in such a short tournament. The last time they played in SA was in the 2003 World cup game which India won convincingly. Pakistan could boast of a bowling attack that included Wasim, Waqar, Akhtar. Now though, they dont have the 'stars' but Gul and Aamer are a good pair. With Asif likely to make the cut, they definitely have the better fast bowling attack. But again, Pakistan have always faltered at the big stage when it comes to matches with India. I feel its Pak's bowling vs India's batting line-up which will decide the match.
I feel the key palyers to watch out for will be Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar for India. Pakistan definitely have the firepower in their bowling which could put more responsibilty on these two Indian batsmen. It ll be interesting to see if the youngsters like Raina, Pathan can cope with the bounce in SA. Another key player who could announce himself on the big stage tonight could be the youngster Umar Akmal. He has shown tremendous temperment in the recent matches against Lanka. He looks a great prospect for Pakistan and what better way to announce yourself than in an India-Pakistan encounter. Lets see what this match has got in store for us.