India Sets a Target of 267 Runs Against Pakistan
Shaheen Afridi Takes Four Wickets Against India
LAHORE MIRROR – In a highly anticipated Asia Cup 2023 encounter in Kandy, Pakistan seized momentum against arch-rivals India thanks to their pacers delivering three crucial blows.
The match witnessed early dismissals for India, with their middle order managing to push the score past 130 runs by the 27th over.
However, Pakistan’s pacers struck back, taking three consecutive wickets and reasserting their dominance. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf both claimed three wickets each, while Naseem Shah dismissed Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav.
All 1️⃣0️⃣ wickets by the pace trio! 🔥
Superb bowling in the death overs to dismiss India for 266 in 48.5 overs 🎯#PAKvIND | #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/RuGPkSPmEH
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 2, 2023
The game was marred by rain interruptions on two occasions, with the first one occurring in the fourth over when India had scored 15 runs.
The second interruption came when India was at 51-3 during the 11th over. Despite these disruptions, the match eventually resumed.
Notably, Pakistan started their Asia Cup 2023 campaign impressively, securing a massive 238-run victory over Nepal earlier in the week, while this match marked India’s debut in the tournament.
Before the match, Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first, expressing readiness to embrace any challenges posed by the weather.
Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam also mentioned a preference for batting first, citing their familiarity with the conditions.
In head-to-head statistics, India holds an advantage with seven wins in 13 Asia Cup (ODI) encounters against Pakistan. Pakistan has won five matches, with one ending in no result.
However, Pakistan has struggled against India in recent Asia Cup matches, losing four of their last five encounters, with their last win dating back to Mirpur in 2014.
Playing XI
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: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.
