PakPassion preview the series between Pakistan and India after the fixtures were announced by the BCCI earlier this week.

By Usman Ghias (November 1, 2012)

After five long years and ODI World Cup and World T20 wins between them over this period, arch rivals Pakistan and India are set to face each other in a bilateral limited-overs series. Pakistan are to travel to India for a two-week tour consisting of two T20s and three ODIs commencing on 25 December. The intensive schedule will involve the sides playing six matches at six different venues over the course of 12 days, a series that will no doubt test mental and physical fortitude of the players involved.

It will be a big series, they always are, enhanced further by the premise that it will most likely be the final time some of the players will be taking part in these illustrious battles between the two cricketing giants. One the world’s great batsman, Sachin Tendulkar, will be focusing on the ODIs for a memorable final series against India’s biggest rivals on home soil. As for the visitors, questions still remain over the inclusion of Younis Khan, although given his formidable record against India it is likely he will get the nod from the selectors. Both teams will feature youngsters yet to be tested over the course of a series in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of Indo-Pak contests, but the courage shown by the likes of future stars Virat Kohli, Umar Akmal and Junaid Khan during previous meetings at ICC events will give both sides heart.

Pakistan have a superior record in head-to-head contests, winning 69 of their 121 outings but the recent record favours India, who have won three of their last five meetings. One of Pakistan’s victories includes a 54-run victory back in the 2009 Champions Trophy. Since then, India have beaten Pakistan in Dambulla, Mohali and Dhaka which includes the World Cup semi-final. Pakistan’s record in T20s is even worse with no wins, the best result being a tied game, and two losses, all of them in World T20 competitions.

Above all the statistics and rivalry, one thing that these contests prove is the love of cricket both countries share and the importance of India-Pakistan clashes for players and fans within those countries and around the world. This series can go some way to showing sporting establishments should not be subject to the whims of political agendas. With five years having passed without a bilateral series, maybe fans have been deprived of the chance to witness a number of epic encounters and the many heroes that could have been crowned as a result, providing all the more reason to look forward to the upcoming series.

The five-match tour is scheduled to take place between December 22 to January 7.

T20s
1st T20I: Bangalore on December 25
2nd T20I: Ahmedabad on December 27

ODIS
1st ODI: Delhi on December 30
2nd ODI: Chennai on January 3
3rd ODI: Kolkata on January 6.

Discuss!