While India has smoothly sailed into the semis of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia, Pakistan has also surprisingly managed to do the same. Meanwhile, Shane Watson is expecting both to clash in the final.
The anticipation, drama, energy and fan involvement are utterly different in an India-Pakistan encounter, and the chance of a dream 2022 ICC T20 World Cup final between the two biggest rivals in cricket has got former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson exhilarated. The Asian rivals have already fought once in the much-talked-about Group stage meeting of the ongoing competition at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where former Indian skipper and top-order batter Virat Kohli mustered up one of the grandest Twenty20 (T20) strikes. The tight game had millions of fans glued to their television (TV) sets while the ones who supervised the heart-stopping action unfold before their eyes at the forum considered themselves the blessedest.
Now that the two sides have reached the semi-final phase, although by taking deviating passages, an India-Pakistan title conflict is expected. India will fight with former world champion England on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval, a day after New Zealand takes on former champion Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
"Everyone would love to see Pakistan and India in the final. Unfortunately, I missed that first [Super 12] game at the MCG, as I commented on the previous game between Australia and New Zealand," an excited Watson said on the event's official website. Watson said he knows what he missed and would adore seeing a re-match.
"But, from all reports, all the people that went along to that game said it was extraordinary to watch on TV. They played in the T20 World Cup final in 2007, and everyone would love to see it again," added Watson. New Zealand looks like a settled team with a silky run, while Pakistan has gasped and wheezed to the semi-finals. However, Watson supposes that Pakistan will be scary in the semi-finals.
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"There are certain times in all tournaments where a team falls across the line and somehow finds its way into the finals and then goes on to win, especially when they weren't expecting to make the semis because of how they played at certain times throughout this tournament. The freedom they will have after not expecting much in the middle of the tournament. So, the freedom they are going to have is going to be very dangerous for the Kiwis," Watson concluded.
(With inputs from PTI)