COLOMBO: Fifty-four spinners have bowled in 25 innings or more in the last 12 months (only T20s).

Barring an injury, six of them will feature play in Sunday's match. Abrar Ahmed. Usman Tariq. Saim Ayub. Mohammad Nawaz. Varun Chakravarthy. Axar Patel. A seventh, Kuldeep Yadav, may get a call up if the Indian team management, who have complained about the nature of pitches given to them at the World Cup, decide to stop worrying about the conditions given to them.

It's why this Group A clash will likely be decided by the slower bowlers. That itself is a significant departure from a usual India vs Pakistan match-up. These matches have either been decided by Indian batters or Pakistan's pacers. At the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday, this contest will genuinely be between the likes of Chakravarthy and Tariq, the two mystery spinners.

The presence of Tariq, Pakistan's great disruptor, has already caused some consternation. When the 28-year-old made his international debut, the Asia Cup was already over so this is the first time Indian viewers will watch him with genuine interest. If they find his action 'weird', a word he used to describe his action, it's because it is.