Rain played spoilsport, disappointing fans who were eagerly anticipating a thrilling match between Pakistan and India in the much-awaited Asia Cup 2023 clash on Saturday.
Despite not having to bat due to persistent showers, the Green shirts secured a spot in the Super 4s after a successful day in the field.
Rain made three appearances in Kandy during the innings break at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium and twice during the Indian innings, much to the dismay of cricket enthusiasts.
Opting to bat first, the Men in Blue set a target of 267 runs for Pakistan. However, the Indian team was dismissed for 266 as the bowlers made a significant comeback.
Beshak sari tareefain Allah pak ke liye!
Thank you Ammi Abbu. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/C5NQxfAvV3
— Shaheen Shah Afridi (@iShaheenAfridi) September 2, 2023
At the beginning of the innings, Pakistan’s star seamers, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, dismantled the Indian top-order after Rohit Sharma chose to bat. Nevertheless, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya kept the scoreboard moving for their side.
Despite the early dismissal of four key Indian batters, the middle order fought back and pushed the score above 130 by the 27th over. However, Pakistan’s pacers struck again, taking three quick wickets in the latter part of the innings. This lethal bowling performance brought the team back into the game at a crucial juncture.
Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf each claimed three wickets, with the final two dismissals of Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav coming off Naseem Shah’s bowling.
Despite the match ending in a draw, Pakistan secured a spot in the Super 4s stage, having started their Asia Cup 2023 campaign with a commanding 238-run victory over Nepal on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, this was India’s first match in the tournament, making the clash with Nepal a must-win for them.
Considering the format of the Asia Cup, it is likely that we will witness another encounter between Pakistan and India in the near future.
Here are the playing XIs for both teams:
Pakistan:
- Captain: Babar Azam
- Vice-Captain: Shadab Khan
- Players: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf.
India:
- Captain: Rohit Sharma
- Players: Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.