IND vs PAK LIVE: Check why Ravichandran Ashwin got nod ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal in India vs Pakistan clash in T20 World Cup

IND vs PAK LIVE Streaming: India skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to field in the blockbuster ICC T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12 clash vs Pakistan at a packed MCG on Sunday. As Men in Blue’s line-up got revealed at the toss, it was evident that team management went with experience while picking the team’s second spinner against Pakistan. Veteran Ravichandran Ashwin got a nod ahead of IPL 2022 purple cap winner Yuzvendra Chahal in the playing XI. Here we look at the stats explaining why R Ashwin pipped Yuzvendra Chahal. Follow India vs Pakistan LIVE & ICC T20 World Cup 2022 LIVE Updates with InsideSport.IN.

IND vs PAK LIVE: Check why Ravichandran Ashwin got nod ahead of IPL 2022 purple cap winner Yuzvendra Chahal in MEGA India vs Pakistan clash in T20 World Cup

Also Read: India vs Pakistan LIVE Score: Pakistan batting first, Rohit Sharma drops Harshal & Chahal: Follow IND vs PAK ball by ball LIVE Updates (insidesport.in)

IND vs PAK LIVE

The atmosphere is electric at Australia’s largest stadium, with a crowd around the 100,000 mark expected to fill the ground and watch the two arch-rivals go head-to-head.

Veteran Dinesh Karthik won the nod over Rishabh Pant for India’s wicket-keeping role. While experienced spinner Ravi Ashwin is preferred ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal.

Experienced batter Shan Masood recovers well enough from a head knock at training on Friday to earn his place in Pakistan’s line-up.

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin was recalled to the Indian T20 team for T20 World Cup 2021.
His recall to India’s T20 World Cup squad in 2021 didn’t work out as planned.
In three matches, he went wicketless. However, he was defensive and economical. He gave away runs at just 5.25 economy.
Despite decent performance in New Zealand series, he was dropped from T20 squad.
The veteran off-spinner also had a decent IPL 2022. In 17 matches, he bagged 12 wickets for 7.51 economy.
He again reclaimed the spot for Asia Cup out of the blue.
With two wickets in two games at 7.37, it was once again an average performance by his standards.
But since then, he has bagged just 1 wicket in three games at an economy rate of 6.66.
It’s his restrictive bowling that has troubled batters and helped other bowlers go for wickets.

Yuzvendra Chahal

Chahal reemerged following a brilliant show in the IPL 2022.
After being dropped from India’s T20 World Cup 2021 squad, Chahal worked on his skills.
With 27 wickets in 17 matches, Chahal bagged the IPL 2022 purple cap.
Since 2021 WC, Chahal has bagged 22 wickets in 19 innings at an average of 22.77.
He has also maintained a healthy economy of just 7.53.
Doubts have begun to emerge regarding his place because of his poor show in the last two series.
In Asia Cup, he bagged just 4 wickets in as many games, conceding at 7.93.
Against Australia, he was expensive again, conceding at 9.12 for just 2 wickets in three games.

On paper, Yuzvendra Chahal is the ideal choice for the T20s. He has worked on his skills and his slower leg-spin deliveries have been brilliant. He has also played a lot more T20s for India, making him the prime candidate. But his Rajasthan Royals teammate Ravichandran Ashwin pipped him riding on his vast experience, especially bowling in Australia.

Another big reason that Ashwin got the nod was considering Pakistan have a few left-handers in their team.

What a start 🔥#T20WorldCup | #INDvPAK | 📝 https://t.co/H9EE5QNNwb pic.twitter.com/F326llQKzv

— ICC (@ICC) October 23, 2022

India XI: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Axar Patel, Ravi Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh

Pakistan XI: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf