ADELAIDE: Pakistan will take on arch rivals and defending champions India in their first match of the ICC World Cup 2015 at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
The match is scheduled to start at 08:30 am as per Pakistan Standard Time (PST).
Pakistan have lost all their five World Cup matches against India, even though they hold a superior 72-50 win record against the neighbours in one-day internationals (ODIs).
The analysts have termed the match a mother of all matches and a final before final.
It is expected that nearly 50,000 people will be present at the Adelaide Oval to watch the thrilling match between the two traditional rivals while the International Cricket Council (ICC) has claimed it would be the most watched cricket match in history with an expected TV audience of over one billion.
Pakistan Squad:
Misbah-ul-Haq, Ahmed Shehzad, Ehsan Adil, Haris Sohail, Muhammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed, Rahat Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Sohaib Maqsood, Sohail Khan, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Younis Khan
Indian Squad:
MS Dhoni, R Ashwin, STR Binny, S Dhawan, RA Jadeja, V Kohli, B Kumar, Mohammed Shami, AR Patel, AM Rahane, SK Raina, AT Rayudu, MM Sharma, RG Sharma, UT Yadav
In a statement, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said that he regards the Sunday´s key clash against India as an opportunity to end a string of World Cup losses against the opponent.
In a message, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has extended best wishes to the Pakistan cricket team in its first encounter in the World Cup 2015 with India on Sunday.
The prime minister said that the whole nation is praying for the success of the team and expects the boys to do their level best in this crucial fixture.
Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan’s cricket team has brought many laurels to the country in the past and the nation wants it to keep the national flag fluttering high every time it enters the arena and give its very best in all fields of the game.
The premier said the players should have firm faith in their abilities and compete with confidence and resilience.
Moreover, he also wished the team the very best in its future matches throughout the World Cup.
