Why the Spotlight is on Usman Tariq, Hardik Pandya Ahead of India vs Pakistan Match

After all the twists and turns off the field, India and Pakistan will eventually face off at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, a Group A contest that is likely to be dictated by spin and the rhythms of a surface that has so far resisted easy strokeplay.

Neither side quite knows what the Khettarama will offer, for it will be Pakistan’s first game at the venue in this T20 World Cup despite successive wins at the neighbouring Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, while India arrives after playing on sluggish pitches in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

The fact that Pakistan does not have to fly constantly across states or the ocean for this fixture and readjust to different conditions gives it a slight edge, yet the uncertainty of conditions binds both teams together.

Indian players have been vocal about their preference for flatter tracks in the tournament, but their experience of handling tricky surfaces could prove valuable on a wicket that has consistently slowed as matches have progressed.

At the RPS, 20 wickets have fallen to spin across three games, including 10 in the night fixture between Sri Lanka and Ireland last week, and the India-Pakistan match will also be played at 7 PM.

Can India overcome its spin struggles in the India vs Pakistan encounter?

The surfaces in all three matches have been slow without being rank turners, the pitch tending to get progressively slower through the game with dew having little to no effect.

“Initially, we thought the pitch would be a good one, with a score of 170-plus. But when the top order played, we saw how the pitch behaved. It was not that easy for them to get runs, especially against the spin bowlers,” Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis had noted after the 20-run win over Ireland.

So far in this World Cup, India has lost eight wickets to spin at an average of 12.23 while striking at under 99.

Against fast bowlers, its strike rate jumps to 182 with the average nearing 50. That disparity could be crucial against a Pakistan side that did not hesitate to field four specialist spinners and bowled just one seamer against the USA earlier this week.

Knowing the ground conditions at the Premadasa Stadium and India’s relative vulnerability against spin, the Salman Agha-led side could deploy a similar strategy.

Ahead of the clash, former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh warned that India would have to negotiate Usman Tariq carefully and urged the team to play without pressure.

Usman, who has taken 11 wickets in four T20Is at an average of 7.90 with a four-fer to his name, has also come under scanner for a sidearm action delivered after a brief pause, sparking debate about its legality with some alleging that the bowler is chucking or throwing the ball.

From Vadodara, former India wicketkeeper-batter Nayan Mongia also weighed in on the contest and the pressure surrounding it.

"It will be fun. We hope it will be a good match and India wins. Because the way India is performing, the way they are batting, bowling, the captain leading from the front and this game is all about confidence and Pakistan has lost ICC tournaments seven or eight times in a row. I don't think there is going to be much difficulty because there will be a lot of pressure on Pakistan...Cricket has changed a lot. The youngsters of India have become fearless. An over, a four or a six could change the game,” he told ANI.

Can Hardik Pandya’s record and big-match temperament tilt India vs Pakistan at RPS?

Mongia expressed particular expectations from all-rounder Hardik Pandya because of how he plays under pressure in big matches and their shared Baroda connection.

Pandya has a fine all-format record against Pakistan, with 315 runs in 12 innings at an average of 35.00 and a strike rate of over 126.50, with two fifties and 25 wickets at an average of 18.60, with best figures of 3/8.

A key aspect of the RPS is its large ground dimensions, which make boundary-hitting difficult and reward placement and running between the wickets.

“I think that’s just trying to play to the nature of the ground as much as anything. It’s really big out there, so I felt like you were hitting a lot of good shots sometimes down the ground or into the pockets where usually you would get fours or sixes, and you’re only picking up twos,” Ireland’s Harry Tector said after their game against the Aussies on February 11.

In Australia’s 3 PM game against Ireland, Matt Renshaw and Marcus Stoinis used those dimensions smartly after losing four wickets early, focusing on rotation rather than overhitting.

Ireland batting coach Gary Wilson reflected on that approach after the 67-run defeat. “They used the surface area of the ground, didn’t try to overhit our bowling,” Wilson said.

“I think they only had some 35 dots in their innings. It was a really low dot-ball percentage. Whenever that happens, it becomes difficult to wrestle back control,” he added.

No batter from Sri Lanka, Australia or Zimbabwe, the teams that have won here so far, has hit a six in the middle overs. Instead, they relied heavily on running between the wickets.

The average first-innings total across the three matches here has been 170, and Wilson described Australia’s 182 against Ireland as a “very good score on this wicket.”

Tilak Varma had outlined the template ahead of the Namibia game. “At number three and four positions, we can find gaps and rotate the strike. Our openers are aggressive, and we have powerful hitters down the order. So the middle overs become very important.”

“We have all kinds of shots in our team, so depending on the wicket and the situation, we’ll decide whether to attack or play accordingly,” he added.

Can Pakistan’s spin attack choke India in the middle overs at Premadasa?

A relentless spin attack through the middle overs could make it difficult for Indian batters to break free, with Abrar Ahmed’s mystery, Mohammad Nawaz’s left-arm orthodox variation and Shadab Khan’s leg-breaks offering variety, alongside Usman Tariq’s sling-arm action and multiple variations that can be hard to read initially.

During India’s match against Namibia, Gerhard Erasmus employed a similar slinging action and finished with four for 20, underlining the potential effectiveness of such methods on slow tracks.

On such surfaces, utilising the hard new ball is important, but it is the middle overs that can make or break the game.

As Australian pacer Nathan Ellis summed up, “The surface showed again that in these games, you might need a lot of spin bowling, some change-ups and a bit of chaos.”

In an India versus Pakistan game, chaos is almost guaranteed. The decisive question may well be which side absorbs pressure better, preserves wickets through the middle phase and adapts quickest to a surface that rewards patience over power.