The results of the high profile India-Pakistan series beginning Friday will actually decide as to which Asian country really holds the cricketing supremacy in this continent. Recent results in the last one year have shown that Pakistan have played marginally better than their arch-rivals.

Pakistan’s comprehensive win in both forms of the game in the home series against mighty England is a clear indication that the hosts hold the upper hand. Unlike the last tour where the Indians were able to leave the Pakistanis demoralised, this time Team India will be really up against a Herculean task.

Team India’s win against Pakistan in the last tour in 2004 came at the backdrop of their successful tour of Australia. It is always easy to carry forward the positive energy from one series to another in back-to-back competitions.

India’s brilliant show Down Under did cast a shadow on the Pakistan team, thus giving India a psychological edge over the hosts. But this time the tides have changed, especially after Pakistan did well against England.

Players’ frame of mind before a high and intense series is always crucial. This time the initiative clearly rests with the hosts.

During the last tour of Pakistan, the formula that worked for Team India was the combination of the enormity of experience in the batting line-up along with the novelty value brought by some new bowlers.

While Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman continued from where they left in Australia, Irfan Pathan and (Lakshmipathy) Balaji brought the freshness and surprise element to the Indian attack.

The Indian batting heavily depends on the openers once again. Sehwag, whose consistency and brutality with the bat was the recipe in the previous tour, is yet to get a regular partner. If Gambhir does not fit the bill quickly, it might be once again risking Dravid to open the innings.

The general belief is that there is depth in the Indian middle-order. But the depth is seen only when the first three batsmen put up a decent score. The Indian lower-order batting, renewed with Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Irfan chipping in of late, can afford to think of an extra bowler in the side.

But understanding the conservative approach of the Indians, they might go with six regular batsmen and four bowlers in the first Test. In the event of India going with four bowlers, with Irfan, Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble running as first choices, it will be a toss up between Harbhajan and Ajit Agarkar.

In my opinion, Harbhajan is far more effective and should walk into the side irrespective of the pitch conditions.

There has been lot of talk about the pivotal role Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akthar may play in this series. Frankly, if he is able to repeat what he did against the English, he could trouble the touring side. But some of the batsmen in the Indian team might feel that Shoaib is far more lethal when he is making a comeback than when he is already floating with success.

The men to watch out in this series would be the much-improved Danish Kaneria and under-rated Rana Naved-ul Hasan. If the orthodox leggie was the one who mostly gave the Pakistanis the much-needed breakthroughs against England, Rana was the man who was always sharp and accurate in the face of the opponents. (PTI)