Last Update on: September 3rd, 2023 at 10:06 am
Rain played spoilsport as the highly-anticipated India vs Pakistan clash in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 was washed out. The arch-rivals locked horns in the third game of the competition on Saturday (September 2) in Pallekele, Sri Lanka.
Batting first, India were bowled out for 266 in 48.5 overs with Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya playing fighting knocks. Rohit Sharma’s decision to bat first pretty much backfired as India made a disastrous start with the bat. After the first rain break in the game, Shaheen Afridi rocked India by dismissing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli cheaply.
Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer also failed to get going, leaving India reeling at 66 for 4. The 200-run mark was looking like a distant dream for the Men in Blue. However, an impressive stand of 138 runs between Kishan and Pandya rescued India and helped them post a 250-plus total. Both the batsmen played brilliantly and scored at a healthy rate despite the precarious situation.
Kishan scored 82 runs off 81 balls before being sent back by Haris Rauf while Pandya scored 87 off 90 balls before Shaheen Afridi dismissed him. India failed to finish their innings strongly as they lost their last five wickets for just 27 runs. For Pakistan, Afridi picked up 4 wickets while Rauf and Naseem Shah accounted for three wickets each.
After India’s innings ended, no play was possible due to rain. The Indian players came out on the field to start the second innings but soon walked off as rain returned. The officials waited for a while before calling off the proceedings.
How can India qualify for Super 4:
The wash out meant Pakistan qualified for the Super 4. The Men in Green had defeated Nepal in the tournament-opener and have sealed their spot in the next round with 3 points in the bag. On the other, India are still not assured of a place in the Super 4. A win against Pakistan would have all but sealed their qualification but rain spoiled the party.
Well, India still have their fate in their own hands. The Men in Blue need to win their next game against Nepal to advance to the next stage. Even if the game against Nepal is washed out, the Rohit Sharma-led side will progress to the Super 4. India only need to avoid a defeat against Nepal to crash out of Asia Cup 2023 at the group stage.