“Records are meant to be broken.” Hasan Ali has said this cliche line ahead of the much-awaited IND vs PAK encounter in the World Cup 2023 group stage on Saturday at the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Hasan Ali reckons there will be more pressure on the Indian team than the Pakistan team as Rohit Sharma’s team is playing at its home ground.
India have a 7-0 dominant, unbeaten record over Pakistan in the men’s ODI World Cup history. Hasan Ali is confident that his team will break this streak on Saturday. He reckons both teams would be wanting to gain early momentum and pile up pressure on the opponent.
“Records are meant to be broken and we too are looking forward to breaking this jinx of not having beaten India in a 50-over World Cup. It is India who will be under pressure as it is their home ground with fans turning up to support them. There is always pressure in a big game like this but we will try to gain momentum early in the proceedings and win the contest,” Ali said.
This is the best sporting rivalry in the world: Hasan Ali
Hasan has played 5 ODIs against India so far, picking up 5 wickets, with a best of 3/19 in the 2017 Champions Trophy final at the Kia Oval. However, he had a terrible game when he last played against India – in the 2019 World Cup match in Manchester, leaking 84 runs in 9 overs.
The 29-year-old hailed the IND vs PAK rivalry as the biggest sporting rivalry on the planet. Hasan has started off on a good note in the 2023 WC with 6 wickets in two games, but now comes his biggest challenge.
“This is the best sporting rivalry in the world. Many players have already spoken about how everyone around the globe tunes into this match. The team is excited for this game, and so am I to play at a venue hosting fans in excess of 100,000. We are looking forward to the game,” Hasan added.
