'PSL has helped Pak players cope with pressure' Pakistan's South African coach Mickey Arthur said on Saturday, while outlining that the "major difference" between India and Pakistan was "exposure to pressure", that the success of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) could help close this gap.
It was in 2012-13 when India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series when Pakistan came to India and played a three one-day match and two T-20 match series.
Going into the match, India would be high on confidence having comprehensively defeated their Asian neighbour by 124 runs in the group stage.
India registered a resounding nine-wicket win over Bangladesh in the second semi-final of the 50-over marquee event to set up another mouth watering, high-octane summit clash against arch rivals Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.
Hence, they come into this final all pumped to win their maiden Champions Trophy. They have improved dramatically since the opening loss to India, and have more wickets (31) than anyone in the tournament.
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Wales will resume their programme at home to Austria and away to bottom-placed Moldova in September. They then finish their fixtures in October in Georgia and at home to the Republic of Ireland.
"History can change, and I hope we can [change it]", he added. "They have won all the matches except the one against Sri Lanka", Pathan said in an exclusive conversation with ANI.
India, with skipper and star batsman Virat Kohli heading the tournament batting averages with a stratospheric 253, are a formidable outfit. "Our players are very good and they are better than players of the other teams", Hasan told ANI. While his deputy, Rumman Raees, stood up with two wickets on debut, the senior left-armer will slot back in for what is expected to be a run and sun-soaked Oval pitch at the expense of Raees unless the 18-year-old leg-spinner, Shadab Khan, makes way. India has won the Champions Trophy twice and the Cricket World Cup twice, but never successfully defended a title. The last time India and Pakistan met in the finals was in T20 World Cup in 2007. "We are playing our best cricket at the best time of the tournament".
"It could bring them to a position of strength and pressurize the International Cricket Council (ICC) to bring back international cricket to Pakistan", he said.
The cricket game on Sunday isn't the only sporting contest on offer featuring India and Pakistan.
"That's how this game goes, and that's the beauty of this game", said Kohli when asked if Pakistan will be rattled by India's performance. "This is a part of being an Indian cricketer". On 3 October 2015, the team suffered a shock defeat to Zimbabwe in Harare and slipped to ninth in the ICC ODI Rankings, just four days after the cut-off date to qualify for CT17 as one of the top eight sides in the world. The Pakistan cricket team, who were the underdogs, have surprised all and sundry by making it to the ICC Champions Trophy final where they face India at The Oval on Sunday.
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