Pallekele (Sri Lanka): Pakistan’s left-arm fast-bowling spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi emerged as the stand-out bowler by taking 4-35 in skittling India for 266 in the Asia Cup Group A match at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Though he tested openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, Shaheen was successful after the first rain interruption in India’s innings. Afridi found some movement to beat Rohit twice and finally got his man when the left-arm pacer got one to nip back and hit the top of the right-handed batter’s off-stump through the gate.
In his next over, Shaheen cramped Virat Kohli for room on an attempted punch, to which the right-handed batter could only chop onto his stumps. It also made Afridi the first bowler in international cricket to get Rohit and Kohli bowled in an ODI match in his electrifying opening spell.
“That was our plan with the new ball (to strike early). I think both (Virat and Rohit) were crucial wickets, every batter is the same for me. But I think I liked (taking) Rohit’s wicket better and enjoyed it more,” said Shaheen in a mid-innings chat with the broadcasters.
In the last ten overs of the innings, Afridi would take out Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in the same over to lead a late Pakistan fightback and limit India to 266. Apart from him, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf took three wickets each as Pakistan’s fiery bowling line-up shared all ten wickets up for grabs.
“The plans by our fast bowlers worked. Naseem is bowling at 150 kph, really happy with that, he’s really fast. The new ball might swing and seam, but should be easier as there’s nothing much after that. It will be easier to score runs once the ball gets old (in the run chase),” added Shaheen.
–IANS