India, Feb. 14 -- India vs Pakistan games don't begin at the toss. They begin in the two weeks of noise around them - pressure that turns a routine over into referendum. On February 15, that pressure will sit on the middle overs like it always does in big T20 matches; once the powerplay ends and the easy pace-on value fades, the innings becomes a negotiation. Single becomes crucial, boundaries become the lifeline. And the team that controls the tempo, controls the match.

Pakistan's newest lever in the phase is not a superstar batter or a bowler with a huge reputation. It is an off spinner with a disruptive rhythm and numbers that have arrived with a warning label: Usman Tariq.

He hasn't played enough international cricket to be a househ...