Kandy: In a high-stakes match of the Asia Cup, India set a target of 267 runs for Pakistan in their first innings. However, due to rain, the match ended without a result.
In a crucial Asia Cup match played in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka, India won the toss against Pakistan and decided to bat. Pakistan’s Shahin Shah Afridi opened the bowling, and the Indian batsmen confidently faced the first four overs without losing any wickets. However, rain intervened during this phase, causing a delay of over half an hour in the game.
When the match resumed, Shahin Shah Afridi found better rhythm and dismissed Indian captain Rohit Sharma on the third ball of the third over. Shahin Afridi continued his series of breakthroughs, taking Virat Kohli’s wicket in the next over, securing the second successful dismissal for his team.
Haris Rauf was introduced into the bowling attack, and Shreyas Iyer welcomed him with two boundaries. However, in the next over, the fast bowler got his revenge by dismissing him, and the Indian team found themselves at 48 for 3 after ten overs. During the course of the innings, Shubman Gill put up a struggle and was eventually dismissed by Haris Rauf for 32 runs, leaving India at 66 for 4.
Young batsman Ishan Kishan displayed responsible batting, completing his half-century with 54 runs off 54 balls, including seven boundaries and one six. Both players contributed significantly, sharing a brilliant 138-run partnership for the fifth wicket. However, Haris Rauf once again rose to the occasion, dismissing Ishan Kishan just before he could reach 100, as he scored 82 runs.
Hardik Pandya continued to attack from the other end and struck three boundaries in one over. It seemed like he was on his way to achieving his maiden century in One Day Internationals, but Shahin Shah Afridi halted his progress at 87 runs.
Even though Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldip Yadav tried to push the score to 261, they were eventually dismissed. Bumrah managed to hit a boundary against Naseem Shah but fell prey to a catch by the wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed, leading to India getting bowled out for 266 runs.
From Pakistan’s perspective, Shahin Shah Afridi took 4 wickets, while Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah each took 3 wickets. Rain interrupted the match towards the end of India’s innings, and due to a wet outfield, the game suffered a considerable delay. Umpires inspected the ground multiple times, and ultimately, due to continuous rain and a soggy outfield, the decision was made to conclude the match with mutual consent from both captains.
As the match ended without a result, both teams were awarded one point each.
Before winning the toss, Indian captain Rohit Sharma mentioned that the weather was slightly overcast but not too concerning. He explained that they had a six-day camp in Bangalore, where they worked on improving their skills. He emphasized that the Asia Cup is a competitive tournament with strong teams, and they need to focus on what they can do here.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, expressed his desire to bat first. He mentioned that they have played a lot of cricket here over the past few months, so they are familiar with the conditions.