Sunil Gavaskar Says "More Pressure" On Pakistan In World Cup Battle Royale vs India

India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar feels there will be "a bit more pressure" on Pakistan during the blockbuster World Cup 2019 match against India at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday. Gavaskar said that Pakistan's tough start to the tournament has put extra pressure on Sarfaraz Ahmed's team and it will be a "must-win game for them". The former India captain believes that if Pakistan are unable to get the better of India -- something they have never done in an ICC World Cup -- then things could get very tough for them.

"It's a must-win game for them. If they don't win tomorrow, it'll be very tough," Sunil Gavaskar was quoted as saying by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“The fact it's an old rivalry means it will be followed closely by the people of both countries, but Pakistan have had a bit of a stumble so far so there's probably a bit more pressure on them."

Rain is forecast for Sunday's match however, and could bring about an early sodden end to the highly anticipated game.

Gavaskar feels India's supremacy will shine through if it's a full 50-over game but a truncated game would put the result in balance.

“If it's a proper 50-overs game I think India have the strength to win.

“But if gets truncated, if it's a game that gets reduced to 30 overs or less, anything can happen.”

India along with New Zealand are the only two remaining unbeaten teams in the tournament. Virat Kohli's team is currently in fourth position with 5 points from three games -- one of which was a no result against the Kiwis.

Pakistan, on the other hand, are in a precarious position, with just three points from their opening four games after losing to the West Indies and Australia, surprisingly beating hosts England and seeing their match with Sri Lanka washed out by rain.

India have won all six of their meetings against their neighbours in World Cups as they look to maintain their perfect record in Manchester.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team Sunil Gavaskar Sarfaraz Ahmed Virat Kohli World Cup 2019 India vs Pakistan, Match 22 Cricket