Cricket

'Pakistan harne se bach gayi' - Fans react as India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2023 match called off due to rain

Pakistan reach at the top of the points table in Group A with three points after the match between India as will Pakistan end in a tie

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Daniel S
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'Pakistan harne se bach gayi' - Fans react as India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2023 match called off due to rain

The much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan commenced at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium as part of the 2023 Asia Cup on Saturday, September 2. Even with the possibility of rain during the match, Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first. The match began under cloudy skies and intermittent rain, which significantly impacted India's batting performance.

Pakistan's seamers, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi, skillfully exploited favorable overcast conditions in the India-Pakistan match. Afridi, in particular, showcased his menacing form by dismissing both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli early on, putting India on the back foot. Afridi initially bowled Sharma in the fifth over after a rain interruption, and then Kohli fell to him in the following over after playing an exquisite cover drive. These early wickets left India struggling at 27/2.

The Indian top-order crumbled under the pressure, akin to a house of cards collapsing. At one point, India found themselves in a dire situation at 66/4, struggling to cope with Pakistan's aggressive fast bowlers. However, when the chips were down, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya came together to orchestrate a remarkable Indian comeback. Both batsmen complemented each other, scoring freely and forming a brilliant partnership of 138 runs. This partnership transformed India's precarious position of 66/4 into a formidable total of 204 runs on the board.

The left-hand wicketkeeper batter scored a brilliant 82 runs off just 81 deliveries while his partner-in-chief combined brilliantly with a knock of 87 runs off just 90 deliveries. It was unfortunate that both the star batters failed to reach what would have been a well-deserved century. With some resilience from Jasprit Bumrah down the order scoring 16 runs with three boundaries, the Indian team managed to score 266 runs in their allocated 50 overs.

But right from the time the Indian innings got over the hide and seek of rain began which kept on delaying the start of the second innings and ultimately the case was such that the match was called off as the game did not even support a 20 overs game.

Your approach has to be clear against Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah: Gautam Gambhir

Speaking with Star Sports Game Plan, the former India batter said that in the ODI format, the batters have the time to settle into the crease. It becomes essential for them to hold batting stances where if given a half-volley, they want to capitalize on it instead of just aiming to survive. The more confidence a batter has, the more pressure they can apply to the opposition.

“Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, your approach has to be clear against Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah. Look at scoring runs, not surviving. When you score runs, you are in a better rhythm and have a better back lift and footwork,” Gambhir told at Game Plan on Star Sports.

Let us now look at how Twitter has reacted to the game being called off:  

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