1. Rohit Sharma vs Mohammad Irfan: Rohit Sharma, double-double-centurion and the slayer of seam bowlers in India, will come up against an opponent unlike any he has faced before. Mohammad Irfan, evidently the tallest active cricketer, is fast and generates bothersome bounce. Irfan ran through Bangladesh in the warm-ups, and although that is no great feat, it is a warning sign. Two years ago in an ODI in Delhi, Irfan troubled India no end,removing both openers quickly. With scores of 150 and 138 in two of his last three innings, Rohit is India's hope of getting off to a good start.
2. Virat Kohli vs Shahid Afridi: In contrast to Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli is going through a relatively lean patch, with scores of 5, 18, 8, 3 (n.o.), 4 and 9 from his last six innings. For India's success, it is imperative that Kohli scores big. In Shahid Afridi, he will face Pakistan's most consistent weapon through difficult phases of play. For Kohli to accelerate through the middle overs, he will have to overcome Afridi. Taking him for runs will weaken Pakistan's resolve considerably.
3. India vs. the 'death' overs: India's profligate bowling at the 'death' is really worrying when you consider that in Pakistan's lower middle order are Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi. They are not the most consistent of batsmen, but if those ahead lay an early foundation, Akmal and Afridi could cut loose.Also, should Stuart Binny not feature, India's tail will look rather long. India has no James Faulkner or Corey Anderson, and should early wickets fall, the likes of Afridi and Irfan could put the brakes on the scoring pretty easily.
