Asia Cup 2018: India vs Pakistan, 4 Key Battles that will shape the contest

How well can Pakistan's middle order handle India's spin twins?

Sarfraz Ahmed will have to lead from the front

India have a very good ODI bowling attack.

A key component of said attack are their spin twins; Yuzvendra Chahal, the leg-spinner, and Kuldeep Yadav, the chinaman bowler. Together, they have played a variety of roles. They have bamboozled well-set batsmen, and quickly dispatched off new batsmen. They are equally adept at derailing a well-placed innings, and suffocating what little life remains in a meandering one. They have been at various times, the Captain's get-out-of-jail cards, and the exclamation point of a dominant bowling display.

However, it must be noted that India has not recently played teams that could be described as being good against spin-bowling. This does not take away from Chahal and Yadav's efficacy; they can only face what is in front of them after all, but it does beg the question of just how effective they will be against a middle-order that plays spin well. Against a middle-order like Pakistan's.

In Shoaib Malik and Sarfraz Ahmed, India's spin twins may face their toughest test yet. They are both excellent players of spin; Malik, in particular, has hit many a quality spinner out of the attack. Neither is afraid to use their feet, and both make excellent use of their feet. It promises to be a fascinating battle. Less subtle, but equally important, is the threat of a well-set Fakhar Zaman looking to tee-off. He absolutely destroyed Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja the last time these two teams met.

This promises to be a very interesting, and absolutely crucial battle. A good start by Pakistan places the onus upon Chahal and Yadav to rein them in; failure to do so could mean a large total, or the increased probability of a successful run-chase. A poor start by Pakistan places the onus upon Chahal and Yadav to administer the knockout blow before any semblance of a fightback is mounted.

For Pakistan's batsmen, these two represent both opportunity, and a threat. They are simultaneously a potential banana peel that can derail a successful start, or cause further humiliation, and the opportunity to build upon a good start, or counterattack to mitigate a poor one.