Shoaib Akhtar displeased with Pakistan’s ordinary batting performance during their Asia Cup 2022 opening match versus India.
Advertisement
During the first match of ‘Group A’ of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium, an impressive display of pace bowling from India, ended Pakistan’s ordinary show with the bat at an under par total of 147/10 in 19.5 Overs.
The Indian fast-bowling quartet of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4-0-26-4), Hardik Pandya (4-0-25-3), Arshdeep Singh (3.5-0-33-2), and Avesh Khan (2-0-19-1) picked up all the ten Pakistani wickets, as none of their batters managed to get along with their innings in the desired manner.
Bhuvneshwar and Pandya in particular literally bounced out the opposition batters, scalping four off their top and middle order wickets off short deliveries, including the big fishes in skipper Babar Azam (10 off 9) and Mohammad Rizwan (43 off 42).
A 38-ball 45-run partnership between Rizwan and Ifthikar Ahmad (28 off 22) for the third wicket did look threatening for some time, but post the latter’s dismissal, things just went down south for the ‘Men in Green’.
However, some lusty blows from Shahnawaz Dahani (16 off 6) and Haris Rauf (13* off 7) in the final two Overs, made sure that the Pakistani pacers have something to bowl at the Indian batters.
Shoaib Akhtar displeased with Pakistan’s batting performance
Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, took to his social media handle to express his disappointment over the ordinary display of batsmenship from the Pakistani batters to begin their Asia Cup 2022 campaign today.
Apart from Rizwan, no other batter managed to spend ample time at the crease. Rizwan too, with almost a run-a-ball 43, did not no much of a service to his side, as Pakistan never looked like posting a daunting total throughout the innings.
As for the Indian bowling unit, today was the first time that their fast bowlers managed to scalp all the ten opposition wickets in a T20I match.
