India will face arch-rivals Pakistan in their third match of the ODI World Cup 2023.
Captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday urged his side to keep their focus on 'things we can control' ahead of the mega World Cup clash, having completed a dominating eight-wicket win over Afghanistan in Delhi.
"For us it is crucial that we don't worry about external factors and just look at things we can control. We just need to show up and do well," Rohit said while talking about India's clash against Pakistan on Saturday in Ahmedabad.
"Things like what the pitch is like, what combo we can play is what we can control. What happens outside we won't be worried about it. It is just about focusing on what we can do as players and how we can perform," the India captain added.
The Indian camp had reasons to smile on Thursday as Shubman Gill, recovering from dengue, was back in the nets, raising hopes of a return for World Cup game against Pakistan.
The 22-year-old has already missed the first two games against Australia and Afghanistan but there is a high chance of him making it to the playing XI for the marquee clash against the arch-rivals, news agency PTI reported.
In fact, to facilitate a special net session for Gill ahead of the team's arrival in Ahmedabad, the Indian team released its left-arm throwdown expert Nuwan Seneviratne on Wednesday itself.
Gill arrived at the Narendra Modi Stadium after 11 AM and did some strides and sprints under the watchful eyes of team doctor Rizwan in the main arena before heading to the nets.
Pakistan, on the other side, have also won both their World Cup matches so far defeating Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.
Keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan battled severe cramps to smash an unbeaten century, while young Abdullah Shafique hit a maiden ton as Pakistan scripted a world-record chase to edge out Sri Lanka by six wickets in a high-scoring ODI in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
After reaching Ahmedabad, the Pakistan squad on Thursday received a grand welcome at the team hotel following an in-flight celebration. Delighted at the reception its players received, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) posted a video on X, capturing the moments.
📸 Snapshots from our first practice session in Ahmedabad 🏏#INDvPAK | #DattKePakistani | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/oavhmDtbEE
October 12, 2023On Thursday, Pakistan spinners were seen practising spot bowling in the nets. According to a PTI report, left-arm orthodox Mohammed Nawaz, leg-spinner Shadab Khan and part-time off-spinner Iftikhar Ahmed didn't bowl to the batters in the main nets and did a lot of spot bowling under the watchful eyes of bowling coach, Morne Morkel.
Morkel laid a plastic stump as a marker around the six-metre range and another four-metre range. In between the two, he placed a red plastic cone and urged his spinners to hit the spot.
Pakistan's spin bowling has been an issue and no wonder the spinners had a separate session trying to find the right spot for a batting belter like the Motera, the report said.
📸 Snapshots from our first practice session in Ahmedabad 🏏#INDvPAK | #DattKePakistani | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/oavhmDtbEE
October 12, 2023World Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan: Date, Time And Venue
The much-awaited marquee game between the two neighbours will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, October 14. The match is scheduled to start at 2 PM IST.
India va Pakistan: H2H Record In ODIs
Matches Played: 134, Won by India: 56, Won by Pakistan: 134, No Result: 5
World Cup 2023: How To Watch IND vs PAK On TV?
Cricket fans can tune in to Star Sports Network channels to watch the India vs Pakistan World Cup 2023 match live.
World Cup 2023: How To Watch IND vs PAK Online?
Disney+ Hotstar will live stream the India vs Pakistan World Cup 2023 match on its app and website.
India Squad For Cricket World Cup 2023
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav.
Pakistan Squad For Cricket World Cup 2023
Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.
(With PTI inputs)
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