Handling nerves would be the key against Pakistan, says Harbhajan Singh

India gear up for yet another epic encounter against their arch rivals Pakistan tomorrow in the ongoing Champions Trophy at Edgbaston, Birmingham. According to the out of favour legendary Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh, the team which handles the pressure better would come out triumphant in the fixture.

Indians only play Pakistan in major ICC multilateral events these days. These encounters occur annually and thus, makes the Indo-Pak encounters even more special and high pressure. Indians have done well in the World Cup against Pakistan in the World Cup, as they hold an impressive record against their immediate neighbours by winning all 12 clashes against them.

But when it comes to Champions Trophy, Pakistan have had the better off Indians. The men in green have won two out of the three matches played in this tournament. It was only in the Champions Trophy of 2013 that India managed to pull off a win against their arch rivals.

“At the end of the day, an India-Pakistan game has got more to do with pressure than anything else. The team that handles the ‘P-factor’ better on the day is more likely to win.” wrote Bhajji in a column for xtratime.in. Bhajji later stressed on the fact that the current crop of Pakistani players is nowhere close to the standards set by the players from the former generations.

“Over the years, India has learnt how to deal with pressure. And this isn’t just against Pakistan. In any case, the Pakistani team of the day is no match for its teams of the past. There was a time when Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf used to play in the same team!” added the Turbanator.

Shoaib Malik- The Danger Man for Pakistan

However, Harbhajan Singh had belief in the abilities of the likes of Shoaib Malik and Sarfaraz Khan. Bhajji termed Shoaib Malik as the danger man in the Pakistani line-up. “I haven’t seen too many youngsters capable of handling pressure in the current Pakistani set-up. That said, I quite like Sarfraz Ahmed, the wicketkeeper-batsman. Also, their batting isn’t up to the standards. When it comes to the ‘danger-man’ in their squad, I think Shoaib Malik is one player who plays spin really well. Once he gets used to the conditions, he can take on any bowler, be it a spinner or a fast bowler.” stated the Mumbai Indians’ spinner.