India vs Pakistan on Feb 23: How Pak is gearing up for the do-or-die clash

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With their Champions Trophy campaign hanging by a thread, the Pakistan cricket team went all out in an intense practice session on Friday, determined to turn their fortunes around before the high-voltage encounter against India on Sunday.

 

Babar Azam, the former captain and batting lynchpin, took centre stage in the nets, facing a barrage of deliveries from every bowler in the squad. Fresh off a gritty 64-run knock against New Zealand, the right-hander looked focused, absorbing the pressure and fine-tuning his strokes as he prepares to anchor Pakistan's batting in the crucial contest. 

 

Pakistan's crushing 60-run defeat to New Zealand in their opening match in Karachi has left them in a do-or-die scenario. They can ill afford another slip-up, and the urgency was evident in their gruelling three-hour practice session at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Every batter—except skipper Mohammad Rizwan—underwent a demanding 20-minute batting drill, ensuring they left no stone unturned before the biggest showdown of the tournament.

 

On the bowling front, pace spearheads Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf steamed in relentlessly, each sending down over seven overs, testing their rhythm and accuracy for the battle ahead. With the responsibility of dismantling India’s formidable top order resting on their shoulders, the duo left nothing to chance, their deliveries cutting through the evening air like a storm brewing on the horizon.

 

Meanwhile, an animated Aaqib Javed, Pakistan’s interim coach, held a high-stakes meeting with the players, with Rizwan by his side. The conversations were intense, the stakes unmistakable. Javed, a seasoned strategist, delivered impassioned instructions, rallying his men for what promises to be an all-or-nothing fight against their fiercest rivals.