In a surprising take ahead of Sunday's high-stakes Champions Trophy encounter, former India fast bowler Atul Wassan has expressed his desire for Pakistan to emerge victorious against India, citing the need for more competitive cricket between the arch-rivals. Current form India enter the Group A clash in Dubai with momentum, following their six-wicket victory over Bangladesh. In contrast, Pakistan are reeling from a comprehensive 60-run defeat against New Zealand in Wednesday's tournament opener in Karachi. 'One-sided affairs' "I want Pakistan to win because it will make the rest of the tournament more exciting. If Pakistan plays well and wins, there will be a real contest," Wassan told ANI news agency. Drawing an unusual parallel with Bollywood, the former pacer added: "It's like Amitabh Bachchan—if he keeps punching the enemies nonstop, there's no fun in watching it. I hope Pakistan makes a comeback; it will be good for the tournament." Shifting power dynamic Wassan, who represented India in four Tests and nine ODIs between 1990-91, reflected on the changing landscape of this historic rivalry. "Until Pakistan improves its cricket, there's no excitement in watching India vs Pakistan games," he said. "When I played in the '90s, Pakistan had so many great players—Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Saeed Anwar. We used to lose to them quite often." "Whatever happened in Pakistan affected their cricket, and they suffered because of it. Meanwhile, India have only grown stronger. Since the 2000s, we have dominated them," Wassan added. Pakistan's struggles Pakistan's preparation has come under scrutiny following their lacklustre performance against New Zealand. Their celebrated pace trio—Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf—failed to make an impact as New Zealand posted 320 runs. The batting display was equally concerning, with captain Babar Azam's 90-ball 64 drawing criticism for its lack of intent. The team managed just 22 runs in the first powerplay, ultimately falling short by 60 runs despite their recent success in chasing 355 against South Africa in Karachi. Team updates Pakistan's challenges are compounded by the absence of explosive opener Fakhar Zaman, who was injured during the New Zealand match. With Saim Ayub also unavailable, Pakistan are likely to open with Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq. The match begins at 2:30 pm (Indian Standard Time) at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday (February 23).Original Article