(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Reigning champions India won the toss and will bat first in their much-anticipated World Cup Pool B opener against Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni decided to go with two spinners for the clash in front of a sell-out crowd bathed in sunshine at the Adelaide Oval.
All-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin will provide the spin after the pace attack of Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami have had a crack at Pakistan with the new ball.
Fans cheer in the stands during Pakistan's Cricket World Cup match against India in Adelaide, February 15, 2015. Photos by Ankit Seth
"We'll have a bat first, it looks like a good wicket," Dhoni said to huge cheers from an already lively crowd.
"It's slightly on the dry side but I feel it will still be a good wicket. Maybe it might slow down later, but not a lot."
Misbah-ul-Haq said he too would have batted first had he won the toss as Pakistan chase their first World Cup win over their neighbours and fierce rivals in six attempts.
Pakistan will line-up pretty much as expected except at wicketkeeper where Umar Akmal, who impressed in the warm-up win over England last week, displaces Sarfraz Ahmed.
"He's really in good form and we really wanted to play a fifth bowler so that's why we had to sacrifice Sarfraz," Misbah said.
"We have a young team and this is a great chance to show they can perform on the big stage."
The match has been billed as a "war without guns" and some believe it could attract the biggest ever TV audience for a cricket match with more than a billion tuning in.
"India-Pakistan World Cup game, nothing gets better than this," Dhoni added.
India v Pakistan highlights
Feb 15 (Reuters) - Latest from Sunday's cricket World Cup Pool B match between India and Pakistan at Adelaide Oval.
1st over - Rohit Sharma gets the first run of the match with a single square of third man. He wants a second but Shikhar Dhawan says no. India: 2-0
3rd over - First chance of the innings when Mohammad Irfan fires a short one at Dhawan, who fends it off with the top of his bat but the thick edge flies clear of the Pakistan cordon. India: 7-0
4th over - First boundary of the match when Dhawan steps back and cuts a short Sohail delivery for four. India: 13-0
6th over - Dhawan also grabs the first six with a not entirely convincing hook off Irfan which lands in the crowd on the mid-wicket boundary. India: 24-0
8th over - Sohail makes the breakthrough. Sharma (15) goes for the pull but is fooled by the bounce and gets a top edge on the ball, which spoons up into the air and is comfortably taken by Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq. The new batsman is Virat Kohli. India: 35-1
11th over - Yasir Shah, at long on, drops a difficult catch offered by Kohli off leg-spinner Shahid Afridi. The batsman was on three. India: 45-1
12th over - Kohli gets his first boundary off Sohail Khan by pulling the pace bowler to mid-wicket. India: 52-1
15th over - Kohli picks up a two and then sweeps Afridi away for a boundary before the drinks break. India: 71-1
18th over - Dhawan slaps a wayward delivery down the leg side from Wahab Riaz for a four to bring up the 50-run stand between the two. India: 89-1
19th over - Pakistan captain Misbah brings on his other leg-spinner Yasir Shah. Dhawan hits him to the cover boundary off the back foot. India: 94-1
21st over - Kohli hits Yasir over wide long off for a boundary to bring up India's hundred and then plays a late cut for another four. Eleven runs in the over. India: 109-1
22nd over - Dhawan picks up a single off Riaz to get to his fifty in 54 balls and then smashes the left-arm pace bowler past point to pick up another four. India: 115-1
23rd over - Kohli brings up his half-century off 60 balls. He dances down to Yasir and hits him straight to the boundary where the 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 metre) Irfan could not get down in time to stop it. India: 122-1
26th over - Eventful over as Irfan gets two warnings from the umpire for running onto the danger zone of the pitch. Dhawan and Kohli also bring up their 100-run stand off 112 balls. India: 134-1
29th over - Dhawan hits Yasir for two fours as India plunder 12 runs from the over. India: 156-1
30th over - Pakistan finally get their second breakthrough as Dhawan (73) is run out after a mix-up. Kohli sends his partner back but Dhawan can't make it to the crease in time despite a dive. The duo added 129 runs. India: 163-2
32nd over - Wicketkeeper Umar Akmal drops Kohli, on 76, off part-time left-arm spinner Haris Sohail. India: 173-2
34th over - New batsman Suresh Raina pulls Sohail for a six. Yasir tips the ball over the boundary rope after a failed acrobatic catch attempt. India: 190-2
37th over - India's 200 comes up with a single from Raina off Irfan. India: 200-2
40th over - India score 25 in their five-over batting powerplay. India: 217-2
42nd over - Raina hits Yasir for a six over the mid-wicket boundary. India: 235-2
43rd over - Kohli gets a single off Afridi to long on to become the first Indian to score a World Cup hundred against Pakistan. He reaches the mark in 119 balls. Raina then hits the leg-spinner for a six. India: 245-2.
44th over - Pakistan appeal a caught behind decision against Raina off Sohail Khan but the umpire's not out decision is confirmed. Raina then hits the pace bowler for three consecutive boundaries to take 14 runs from the over.
45th over - Another 14-run over for India as Kohli and Raina pick up a boundary each off Irfan. India: 273-2
46th over - Kohli becomes Sohail's second wicket after he edges the pace bowler to wicketkeeper Akmal. The right-hander made 107 off 126 balls. India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the new batsman, hits a four with his second ball. India: 279-3
Teams:
India - Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Mohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav.
Pakistan - Ahmed Shehzad, Younus Khan, Haris Sohail, Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Sohail Khan, Mohammad Irfan.
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