The Indian batters struggled to acclimatize to the conditions as the Pakistani pacers consistently troubled them with their impressive bowling.
The Pakistan cricket team made a fiery start against India in their second match of the Asia Cup 2023 at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday (September 2). This was orchestrated by their star speedster Shaheen Afridi, who delivered a sensational spell by dismissing both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in quick succession.
Shaheen first gave a glimpse of his brilliance when he bowled out Rohit Sharma with an outstanding inswing delivery in just the fifth over of the match. Subsequently, he left the crowd at Pallekele astounded by claiming the prized wicket of Virat Kohli, making it the standout moment of the game so far. As a result of these crucial dismissals, India found themselves struggling at a mere 27 runs for the loss of two wickets with the Pakistani bowlers firmly in control.
Earlier, India skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat first, despite the looming threat of rain. India’s playing squad remained unchanged, with Rohit and Shubman Gill forming the opening pair, the latter making his debut in the Asia Cup.
Shaheen Afridi, armed with the new ball, promptly exhibited his ability to generate movement both ways. Although Rohit managed to secure a boundary off the second ball of the innings, it came as a result of a missed opportunity by Fakhar Zaman at square leg. Both India openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill struggled to acclimatize to the conditions as the Pakistani pacers consistently troubled them with their impressive deliveries.
कप्तान साब के डंडे उड़ गए 🤬#PAKvIND #AsiaCup #AsiaCup23 #RohitSharma #ShaheenAfridi pic.twitter.com/zSe2YwhfDm
— HR_in_RajasthanRoyals (@HrithikRoars) September 2, 2023
#ShahidAfridi on 🔥🔥 …
Laka Khamaar..🔥🔥#ViratKohli down again..Mission done…#PAKvIND #AsiaCup23 👍👏 32/2 7.1 pic.twitter.com/zJPZs7D9Aj— Stay @ Home Stay Safe (@ImranUsafzai) September 2, 2023
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Shaheen Afridi’s impeccable bowling skills came to the fore when he cleverly trapped Rohit Sharma in the fifth over. He started the over with two consecutive outswing deliveries and then caught the Indian opener off guard with an exquisite inswing delivery, dismantling the off-stump.
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