Lahore: Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali said pressure will be on arch rivals India in the upcoming Asia Cup because of the Champions Trophy final defeat last year. Pakistan won that game by 180 runs with Ali picking up three wickets. Pakistan will face India at least twice in the Asia Cup, and three times if both reach the final.
“We are on top right now. They (India) are under pressure from the previous defeat,” Ali said Thursday here. “In UAE, the conditions favour us. It is like home advantage as we have been playing there for long,” the player added.
Ali, however, is disappointed that he will not be able to bowl to Virat Kohli who has been rested for the event. In the Champions Trophy final, Ali did not get to bowl to Kohli, who was dismissed by Mohammad Amir.
We definitely have an advantage playing at the UAE as we are aware of the conditions. Also the pressure will be on India having lost in the last meeting against us
Hasan Ali
“Kohli is a very good player and definitely I would have loved to test my skills against him,” Ali pointed out. “Everybody knows that he is a match-winner. The advantage for us is the way Virat Kohli can handle pressure, someone else who comes in his place might not be able to,” he added.
Meanwhile Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza said his team are capable of beating India. “We are not so far from the other teams. India have a good chance (to win the title), and Pakistan will play at their home-like ground. But I want to say that, we have the ability to beat both of them,” Mashrafe said at a press meet Thursday at Mirpur.
