'Your approach has to be clear against...' - Former India opener slams Indian batting against Pakistan's pace bowling

It would be no wrong to say that all the cricket fans were waiting for this India vs. Pakistan clash which is being played in Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy. The fans across the globe were waiting for this battle between Pakistan bowling as well as Indian batting and they were not disappointed as the Pakistan bowling lineup showed why they are among the best in the world. The Pakistan bowling lineup rattled the Indian top order and left India rattled at 66/4 at one stage.

The wrecker-in-chief this time around was once again Shaheen Shah Afridi who took the wickets of skipper Rohit Sharma as well as Virat Kohli. Speaking about the same, former India batter Gautam Gambhir expressed his opinion, saying that rather than focusing on surviving, Indian batters should seek to attack 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 said speaking to Star Sports’ Game Plan.

The former India batter also added that in the ODI format, batters are afforded time to settle into the crease. It becomes crucial for them to occupy batting positions where, if presented with a half-volley, they seek to capitalize on it rather than merely aiming to survive. The greater the positivity displayed by the batter, the more pressure they can exert on the opposition.

“Often, people talk about Shaheen and Naseem troubling the Indian batters in the World Cup. But it’s all in the past now. ODI is a different format, batters have time to settle into the crease. It’s important to bat in positions where if you get a half-volley, you look to hit it, not just survive. The more positive you are, the more you create pressure. Keep it simple, the past is in the past. It’s a new day, a new match, a different format. Be in attacking mode,” Gambhir also added.

India team set a target of 267 runs

In the third Asia Cup match, Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat against Pakistan. However, Pakistan's seamers, particularly Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, made early breakthroughs, dismissing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, leaving India struggling at 27/2. Despite the early setbacks, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya steadied the innings with a 138-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

They both scored well, with Kishan reaching 82 before losing his wicket. Shaheen Afridi's double strike in the 44th over disrupted India's momentum, and Naseem Shah took the final wicket, limiting India to 266 all out. Pakistan will now aim to chase the target for their second consecutive win in the tournament.