It's the mother of all battles and cricket fans on either side of the Wagah-Attari border will not get enough of it.
India vs Pakistan is the most high-octane rivalry in professional sport and as the Asia Cup 2023 beckons, the excitement has well and truly begun.
Team India's squad announcement on Monday has intensified the hysteria over the Asia Cup Indo-Pak clashes that will be take place again on September 2.
India have picked a squad that can give Pakistan a hard time and there isn't a doubt about that. It's all about handling the pressure and having better control over your nerves.
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Indian batters vs Pakistani pacers
When it's India up against Pakistan, it's always the famed Indian batting versus the fiery Pakistan bowling attack. And that has always been the trend from the beginning.
From the heydays of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Aaqib Javed and Shoaib Akhtar to today's Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah etc, the Pakistanis have traditionally relied on pace to upset the Indians.
The Indians, with some of the most dangerous one-day batters in their ranks in Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill etc will look to cash in on their tremendous depth to flay the Pakistan bowling.
It will be interesting to see how Team India approach the Pakistan game and how they play the match on September 2. It will give a sneak peak into India's approach and template against a certain opposition and the mindset with which they will play the Asia Cup and in turn, the ODI World Cup eventually.
History in India's favour
The 'Men in Blue' will also have the odds stacked in their favour with having won more games against Pakistan in Asia Cup history.
India and Pakistan have locked horns 17 times at the continental event across formats and the 2011 World Champions hold a 9-6 lead over the old foes.
What makes India's case even stronger is the grip they have over Pakistan in recent Asia Cup encounters. In the last five Asia Cup games between these two teams, India lead Pakistan 4-1.
First game crucial
The September 2nd match will be crucial for India as the side will look to establish a tempo and take their game forward from there. As we all know, India-Pakistan matches are all about bragging rights and momentum plays a big role in determining the outcome of matches.
So, India would need to put on their best show in the opening game and impose their authority on the Pakistanis.
The Virat Kohli factor
Virat Kohli has a terrific record against Pakistan and has played some memorable knocks against them in the Asia Cup and the legend will be looking to emulate the same in this edition as well.
The India No 3 has been Pakistan's nemesis for a while and the last knock that shook the Babar Azam-led side was in the ICC T20 World Cup in 2022.
So, Kohli looms large over any Indo-Pak clash just the way Sachin Tendulkar did back in the 90s and the 2000s. And in some ways, the nature of India-Pakistan clashes haven't changed with a side having one game-changing player in their ranks.
It's just today's Indian ODI team is a far stronger side and has multiple game-changers in their ranks as compared to the 1990s and 2000s. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah all have that kind of ability to turn any game on its head.
Although, Pakistan will rely heavily on the brilliance of Babar Azam, the rest of the players will also have to contribute their might against India.
Therefore, India hold all the aces in this highly anticipated clash against the arch-rivals riding on history and recent form despite niggles (KL Rahul) to an odd player.
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