KANDY: Pakistan’s pace attack limited the formidable Indian batting lineup to 266 all out in 48.5 overs during the highly anticipated and intense Asia Cup encounter held at Pallekele cricket stadium, Sri Lanka, on Saturday.
Having won the toss, the Indian captain elected to bat first. They got off to a steady start, but the game was momentarily interrupted by a light shower after a couple of overs. Following this brief rain delay, Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi first dismissed Rohit Sharma and then Virat Kohli, putting the Indian batting order under pressure. Rohit Sharma scored just 11 runs, while Kohli contributed only 4.
Haris Rauf then joined the action, picking up two more crucial wickets, reducing India to 61 for the loss of four wickets. However, in the middle of the innings, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya managed to handle the pressure and stood their ground. Both batters completed their half-centuries with some well-placed boundaries, guiding their team towards a respectable total. They shared a 138-run partnership off 142 balls, and it seemed like they might take the Indian side past the 300-run mark.
Nevertheless, in the 38th over of the innings, Haris Rauf dismissed Ishan Kishan for 82. Kishan was replaced by Jadeja, who, along with Pandya, continued to maintain the momentum to some extent. However, before they could pose a more significant threat, Shaheen Afridi removed the dangerous Pandya for 87 and soon after dismissed Jadeja for 14.
Naseem Shah then got rid of newcomer Shardul Thakur. These quick dismissals halted the rapid progress of the Indian batting lineup. In the 49th over, Naseem Shah took another wicket, limiting India to 261 for 9. In the same over, Naseem Shah claimed the final wicket of the Indian side, restricting them to 266 all out.
All of the wickets were taken by pacers, with no success for the spinners. Shaheen Afridi secured four wickets, while Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf each bagged three wickets. Pakistan required 267 to win in their 50 overs.
Pakistan Squad
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf.
India Squad
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.
