Shaheen Afridi was the pick of the bowlers in India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2023 clash on Saturday. He removed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli with the new ball before finishing with an impressive figure of four for 35.
The express pacer approached from over the wicket and delivered the ball on off and middle, maintaining a good length. Sharma moved forward to defend it, but the ball jagged back in, sneaking through the gap between bat and pad, and rattled the stumps. He departed with a score of 11.
MORE: Bet on India vs Pakistan in Asia Cup 2023 from India
Whereas Kohli saw the ball clip his leg stump after getting an inside edge when he was just at four. It was a short-length delivery outside off and Kohli could only chop it onto his stumps.
However, after five overs, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam took the decision to remove Afridi from the attack with India on shaky grounds at 41/2. The pacer was only brought back in the 25th over for a couple of overs to break the partnership between Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya. The ploy did not work as the two set batsmen managed to see him off and then Azam re-introduced Afridi as late as the 44th over.
MORE: Shaheen Shah Afridi bests Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli
What did Shoaib Akhtar say about Babar Azam's captaincy?
Former Pakistan pacer, Shoaib Akhtar, slammed Azam for his decision to save Afridi for the death overs and suggested that he should have been brought on much earlier.
"Shaheen should have been brought earlier obviously. What a comeback though.
Game on!" he wrote on X.
Shaheen should have been brought earlier obviously. What a comeback though.
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) September 2, 2023
Game on!
Afridi responded immediately and took the wickets of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja to bring Pakistan back into the match.
The left-arm medium-pacer Shaheen became the first bowler to dismiss both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, bowled, in the same innings.
Azam was later spotted remonstrating Shadab Khan as he lost his cool while Kishan & Pandya were going strong in the middle.
Shadab getting the ben stokes treatment from babar like pic.twitter.com/TYJSpY1eHk
— adi ✨🇧🇩 haris rauf salt era (@notanotheradi) September 2, 2023
MORE: 'Lukkha players' - Kamal R Khan lashes out at Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
How much did India score against Pakistan?
India laboured their way to 266/10 in 48.5 overs courtesy of two brilliant knocks from Ishan Kishan (82) and Pandya (87).
