Updated On: 01 September, 2023 07:48 PM IST | Pallekele | mid-day online correspondent
Asia Cup 2023: India and Pakistan will play each other for the first time in ODIs since the 2019 World Cup

Rohit Sharma (L) and Rahul Dravid (R), of India, take part in a training session (Pic: AFP)
The Asia Cup has returned to the 50-over format to facilitate an ideal World Cup preparation for five of the six participating teams, but for organisers and the fans, India vs Pakistan is not just another game, it is `The Match`. The two subcontinental giants will play each other for the first time in ODIs since the 2019 World Cup. However, with steady rain predicted in the hilly Kandy region on Saturday, an anti-climax to a mouth-watering clash can`t be ruled out.
Team India, which is yet to fit-in all the jigsaw puzzles will be hoping that their `holy trinity` of skipper Rohit Sharma, peerless Virat Kohli and his heir apparent Shubman Gill is ready to fight fire with fire against Shaheen, Rauf and the feisty Naseem Shah.