India-Pakistan showdown tops busy week
If it’s excitement you’ve been looking for, look no further than the Cricket World Cup. Just a couple of weeks in and favorite England lost to Pakistan. Underdog Afghanistan almost beat Sri Lanka. West Indies gave Australia a major scare with an almost-successful run chase. And India is off to a solid start.
The tournament is only going to get more exciting. Well, that depends on the weather, of course. Rain is in the forecast — all week — and that could derail what is scheduled to be a slate of matches with serious ramifications.
How about the biggest rivals in cricket, India and Pakistan? They will face off Sunday, three days after host England tries to regain solid ground after a tough opening loss. The defending champion, Australia, is also in action twice this week and looks to bounce back after its loss to India on Sunday.
Here are the top three matches to look out for this week in London and Wales:
Thursday, June 13, 5:30 a.m. ET
Both teams are coming into this week without a loss. While New Zealand has been involved in three low-scoring chases against Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, India wiped out South Africa with 15 balls to spare and then Australia with a clinical performance both with bat and ball. India was able to force Australia to chase the highest target of the tournament, and the victors took crucial wickets in the death overs. New Zealand is currently at the top of the standings, followed by England and India. Will India be able to win and take the lead this Thursday?
Friday, June 14, 5:30 a.m. ET
Before the tournament, this would have been an easy pick. But with England losing to Pakistan in a match in which more than 650 runs were scored, the tournament just got more interesting. This, combined with the fact that West Indies came incredibly close to beating Australia (they lost by 15 runs), has made this a must-watch match of the week. If England loses another, that’d be two in two weeks and a cause for concern for the host and favorite.
Sunday, June 16, 5:30 a.m. ET
Last time India and Pakistan played in the World Cup (Australia, 2015), the match garnered 1 billion television viewers. Tickets sold out minutes after they went on sale. This is easily the biggest rivalry in cricket — and it comes with geopolitical implications, with the most recent Pakistani insurgent group attack on the Indian convoy in February. Because the two teams now play only in ICC events, this is a rare chance for fans to see cricket’s two biggest teams face off. Of the six times they have faced each other in the World Cup, India has not lost a match. Will the team maintain its clean record after the June 16 faceoff?