Asia Cup: Pakistan qualify for Super Four after rain washes out India match

The match started at 2:30pm Pakistan Standard Time

KANDY (Dunya News) – The Pakistan and India match was washed out due to rain at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka, on Saturday. 

Both teams have been awarded one point each as the match ended in draw. After achieving the one point, Pakistan have become the first team to qualify for the Super Four round. 

 

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 2, 2023

Earlier, rain had delayed the start of Pakistan's chase after India set a fighting total of 267 runs.Pakistani pacers – Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah – dismissed all Indian players at 266 in 48.5 overs.

 

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 2, 2023

Shaheen Afridi served early blows to India as he removed opening batsman Rohit Sharma and sent him back to pavilion soon after the play resumed after brief ran. An over later, he also claimed Kohli's wicket with trademark inswinger. He also sent Hardik Pandya and Jedeja packing, to complete his four-for.

 

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 2, 2023

Haris Rauf also delivered magical spell as he dismissed Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan at a critical point when the middle order pair – Kishan and Pandya – was helping the team recover from early losses.

 

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 2, 2023

Naseem Shah removed Thakur, Jasprit Bhumra and Kuldeep Yadav – the tail order of the Team Blue, restricting it to 266.

Earlier, rain disrupted the match between Pakistan and India.   

 

— ICC (@ICC) September 2, 2023

India won the toss and elected to bat first in the high-octane match with Pakistan. India were 15 without loss when showers stopped the match. 

Pakistan's pacers bowled with ferocity restricting India in early overs.  

Hours earlier, showers fell in and around the stadium prompting the ground staff to cover the pitch. Rain stopped after half an hour or so. 

High-octane match  

Pakistan and India are clashing today in their eagerly-awaited Asia Cup match at Pallekele, Sri Lanka.

The match started at 2:30pm Pakistan Standard Time.

Cricketing fans from around the world wait with bated breath for the dream India-Pakistan clash. Yet another chapter to this storied rivalry is all set to be added when India take on Pakistan at the Asia Cup on Sept 2. 

They will meet in an ODI for the first time since the 2019 World Cup, but rain could delay the start in Pallekele.

The Men in Green have named an unchanged side, which beat Nepal by 238 runs in Asia Cup opener on Wednesday in Multan.

 

Pakistan to field same playing XI tomorrow #PAKvIND | #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/qe18Ad6pF4

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 1, 2023

Pakistan playing XI for India match:

Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq, Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.

Pakistan squad for Asia Cup:

Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi  

As we await the all-important clash in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, let’s take a look at their five most recent encounters.

1. India v Pakistan: T20 World Cup group stage match, Melbourne (23 October, 2022)

The India-Pakistan clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 was a much awaited rematch of their 2021 encounter.

This game proved to be one of the most exciting India-Pakistan contests in the history of ICC events as India beat Pakistan off the final ball of the game.

Led by an incisive spell by Arshdeep Singh, India’s fast bowlers were right on the mark in the Powerplay overs. Arshdeep accounted for Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan in back-to-back overs, to leave Pakistan at 15/2 at the four-over mark.Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed then came together for the Men in Green and stabilised the innings.

Iftikhar took the attack to the India bowlers and scored a brisk half-century off merely 32-balls. He targeted the India spinners in particular and took four sixes off them. However, Mohammed Shami trapped Iftikhar leg before wicket in the 13th over to end his blitz.

The India bowlers then struck at regular intervals to keep their side in the game. Masood’s patient knock of 52* helped Pakistan to 159/8. India were rattled early on by Pakistan pacers. They lost Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel in no time. Haris Rauf took two wickets in the Powerplay overs, while Naseem Shah picked up one.

Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya began a patient reconstruction job before upping the pace in the 12th over. They took 20 runs off Mohammed Nawaz during this over.

However, Pakistan made a comeback when Rauf and Naseem conceded merely 12 runs in the 16th and 17th overs. Needing 48 from 18 balls, India needed a special performance.

That innings came off the bat of Kohli, who switched gears going from 46 from 42 at the start of 18th over to 82 from 53 at the end of the innings. The knock included a number of exquisite shots, including a punch back down the ground for a six against Rauf.

India managed to overcome Pakistan in a drama-filled final over which saw a six off a no-ball, a free-hit bye heist and a clever leave off the final delivery to procure a wide. Ravichandran Ashwin cleared the infield off the last ball to win the game for India by four wickets.

2. India v Pakistan: Asia Cup Super Four, Dubai (4 September, 2022)

The two sides clashed merely a week after their enthralling encounter in the group stages, and ended up producing another cracker of a contest. It was Pakistan’s chance to shine, as they managed to overcome a resilient India in a close encounter.

India got off to a bright start after being put in to bat. The openers Rohit and Rahul shed their usual conservative approach, and went for the attack. Together the duo added 54 runs in the first five overs, attacking Naseem with particular severity. His opening spell went for 25 runs.

However, as Rohit and Rahul fell in successive overs to Rauf and Shadab Khan respectively, India’s scoring rate was stifled.

Amidst falling wickets, Kohli played the anchor for the Men in Blue and helped them to a strong 181/7. His 60 from 44 balls included four fours and one six.

In response, Pakistan got off to a measured start. Despite Rizwan’s aggressive start, the team needed over 10 runs an over at the midway mark. They had lost Babar and Fakhar Zaman in the first half of their innings. It was Nawaz, the pinch-hitter at No.4, who took the game away from India.

The all-rounder, who had already delivered an economical spell of 1/25 in the first innings, followed it up with a blistering 42. The knock had six fours and two sixes. Both sides suffered hiccups in the final overs, but Pakistan prevailed courtesy of an aggressive finish from Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah.

3. India v Pakistan: Asia Cup group stage match, Dubai (28 August, 2022)

India came out victors in a tense, closely-fought encounter. Bhuvneshwar Kumar drew first blood with the wicket of Babar in the early stages. Fakhar too fell in the last over of the Powerplay before Rizwan and Iftikhar stitched a 45-run stand for the third wicket but the former looked far from his fluent best.

Hardik broke the back of Pakistan's innings with a short ball barrage accounting for three wickets in his two overs. A couple of big hits from Shahnawaz Dahani towards the end helped his side to a respectable total of 147.

Youngster Naseem couldn't have asked for a better T20I debut as he struck off the second ball of the innings to send Rahul back for a golden duck. The Pakistan bowlers were on the money and made it difficult for Rohit and Kohli to score freely.

India lost both their star players in a span of eight balls as they attempted to accelerate against the spin of Nawaz.

To counter the leg spin and left-arm spin in Pakistan's ranks, Ravindra Jadeja was promoted up the order. Along with Suryakumar, he added 36 runs for the fourth wicket to keep India within reach. After the fall of Suryakumar's wicket, India needed 59 from 34 when Hardik came out to bat.

Having already delivered with the ball, Hardik gave a measure of his brilliant all-round ability – this time with the bat in hand. He smashed Rauf for three boundaries in the penultimate over to bring the equation down to seven off six. Though India lost Jadeja off the first ball of the final over, Hardik finished things off in style with a six to get India's campaign up and running.

4. India v Pakistan: T20 World Cup group stage match, Dubai (24 October 2021)

India will not have the fondest memories of the Dubai International Stadium when they step on the field in their Asia Cup opener. It was on this very ground that they suffered their first-ever loss to Pakistan in a World Cup match, with Babar's men scripting a memorable win over their arch-rivals.

Shaheen was unplayable in his opening spell, accounting for the wickets of Rohit and Rahul with two rippers. The partnership between Kohli and Rishabh Pant held India's innings together, with the former going on to make yet another fifty against Pakistan.

Unfortunately, the rest of the batting failed as India stumbled their way to 151/7 in 20 overs.

In reply, Pakistan romped their way to the target with all 10 wickets to spare. The opening pair of Babar and Rizwan was in cruise control throughout the innings as they stitched an unbeaten 152-run partnership to register a famous win over India.

5. India v Pakistan: Cricket World Cup group stage match, Manchester (16 June, 2019)

The two teams clashed on the biggest stage amidst pomp and pageantry but the clash failed to live up to its lofty expectations as India got the better of Pakistan in a rather one-sided contest.

With a hundred and a fifty in the previous games of the tournament, Rohit was in the mood against Pakistan and put on a clinic with the bat in hand. The bowlers were all at sea at the star India batter and found it impossible to breach the fort as Rohit smashed a 113-ball 140.

Half-centuries from Rahul and Kohli propelled India to a massive score, setting Pakistan a daunting target of 337.

After losing the early wicket of Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar and Babar steadied the ship and were starting to look dangerous with their century partnership. It took a special delivery from Kuldeep Yadav to breach the defence of Babar, which turned out to be a turning point in the game.

Wickets fell in heaps thereafter and Pakistan, chasing 302 in 40 overs in a rain-reduced game, only managed to 212/6 as India extended their unbeaten run in the 50-over World Cup against their arch-rivals to 7-0.