Pallekele (Sri Lanka): India skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first in their Asia Cup clash against arch-rivals Pakistan here. The two Asian giants are facing each other in an ODI after over four years.
The Men in Blue have decided to go in with three seamers and two spinners - chinaman Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja.
Also read: INDIA versus Pakistan; Rohit-led men aim to overcome arch rivals, win Asia Cup game
"We are going to bat first. There is a bit of weather around, but can't think much about it. (We have) got to play good cricket, you need to embrace the challenge, embrace the situation. We had some time off after the West Indies series. Everyone was up for those drills and challenges in Bengaluru," India skipper Rohit Sharma said at the toss.
"Let's see what we can achieve in this tournament. It's a quality tournament with quality Opposition (teams). At the end of the day, we need to see what we can achieve as a team. (Shreyas) Iyer is back, (Jasprit) Bumrah is back and we have got three seamers. We have got two spinners - Kuldeep (Yadava) and (Ravindra) Jadeja," added Rohit.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said, "We would have batted first, but the toss is not in our hands. We have played a lot of cricket here, so we know the conditions. Top teams are playing so Asia Cup is good. We'll try to do our best. We are playing with the same combination (and there are) no changes. Performing well always gives you confidence. It's a high-intensity game, we'll try to be calm and composed."
The two teams are playing in Sri Lanka after the 2010 T20 World Cup.
Teams: India: Rohit Sharma(Captain), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan(wicket-keeper), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Pakistan: Babar Azam (Captain), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf
