Former England captain Michael Atherton has made a bold prediction for the upcoming ODI World Cup by saying that Pakistan will beat India for the first time in the tournament's history.
The Pakistan-India match, which is often referred to as the El Clásico of cricket, is one of the most intense sports rivalries globally.
In the history of the ICC ODI World Cup tournaments, India and Pakistan have faced each other seven times. India has emerged victorious in all these encounters, maintaining an unbroken winning streak against Pakistan.
Speaking about the clash on Sky Sports, Atherton went on to say that he feels that Pakistan will beat India this time around and win their first match against their arch-rivals in the World Cup.
The former England captain also said that the match on October 14 will be the biggest match of this year's World Cup unless both sides meet in the final or semi-final.
"As my bold prediction, I'm saying that for the first time in a 50-over World Cup Pakistan will beat India. They have won zero out of seven over the years. It's going to be the biggest game of the tournament, unless they meet again in a semi-final or, could you imagine, the final. It is sure to be a packed house; it will be mayhem and maybe Pakistan will jump a surprise,"Atherton said.
India won the clash between the two sides in the 2019 World Cup by 18 runs. The first match between the two sides in the recent Asia Cup was a washout but India would emerge victorious in the Super 4 stage match by a big margin.
India and Pakistan will be renewing their rivalry on the big stage on October 14 in Ahmedabad. Both teams will be playing each other after appearing twice in the tournament.