• Source:JND
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Ahead of the much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023, former Australia batter Tom Moody said that Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi with the new ball will be a great threat to the Rohit Sharma-led side.

India and Pakistan are set to lock horns in Kandy on September 2 in the group-stage match encounter. Both teams are meeting each other after last year's T20 World Cup clash at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Virat Kohli played a magnificent unbeaten knock of 82 off 53 balls to guide India to a four-wicket win against arch-rivals.

Moody feels Shaheen's ability to scalp early wickets can frustrate India's middle order which lacks consistency.

"Shaheen Afridi. Full Stop. I just think that Shaheen Afridi with the new ball is a major threat, which he has done historically. Broken through with that new ball, manages to blow away a couple of early wickets, which then opens up the middle order for India to resurrect things. Particularly for a middle order that hasn’t had a lot of game time," Moody said on Star Sports.

India will be without KL Rahul in their initial games against Pakistan and Nepal due to a niggle to the wicketkeeper-batter. However, Shreyas Iyer's return will bolster India's middle order.

With the addition of Jasprit Bumrah to India's pace attack, Men in Blue will have the edge to bounce back in case of any mishap in the batting.

Moody further said India vs Pakistan rivalry outclasses the Ashes, the oldest cricket rivalry between Australia and England.

"I think this match surpasses the Ashes. It’s always got a lovely story to it, and both are outstanding cricketing nations. And when you look at that Pakistan squad, it does boast a lot of talent. But one thing that stands out for me is that it also boasts experience. So now they have the combination of experience and talent, they are a real threat. They can match India with their pace bowling; they’ve got genuine pace on their side, and the only issue I see them potentially having is the depth in the quality of their batting which India has got. So that’s going to be the interesting pressure that they put on the likes of Babar Azam at the top of the order," he said.

In the last ODI encounter between India and Pakistan in the 2019 World Cup, Virat Kohli-led Men in Blue beat Pakistan by 89 runs via DLS method in Manchester.