IND vs PAK: Waqar Younis Heaps Praise On Hardik Pandya For Dismissing Babar Azam In Asia Cup 2023, Says 'He Made Babar Play Away From The Body'

Published - 12 Sep 2023, 12:46 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:18 AM

Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli
Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli. picture Credit: Getty

Former Pakistani star pacer, Waqar Younis heaped praise on Hardik Pandya for dismissing Babar Azam for 10 runs from 24 balls on Monday (September 11th) at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

The high voltage match between India and Pakistan was supposed to take place on Sunday (September 10th) but due to heavy rain, the match took place on the reserve day on Monday (September 11th). In the first inning, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul played a stunning knock and led India to 356 runs.

Virat Kohli scored 122 runs from 94 balls with a strike rate of 129.79. Whereas, KL Rahul made 111 runs from 106 balls with a strike rate of 104.72.

In the second inning, the Indian bowling attack made no mistake in defending the target and dismissed the Men in Green at 128 runs to clinch a 228-run win in the Super Fours match of the Asia Cup 2023.

Kuldeep Yadav picked up five wickets in his eight overs spell and gave away 25 runs. On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Shardul Thakur took one wicket respectively.

However, Hardik Pandya’s delivery in the 11th over which helped the Men in Blue allrounder to dismiss the number one ODI batsman was magnificent. Babar Azam failed to understand the ball as it removed the bell from the wicket.

It was a beautiful delivery that seamed back: Waqar Younis on Hardik Pandya

While speaking to Star Sports, Younis said that it is a luxury for India that a bowler like Hardik Pandya can deliver in the middle overs like him.

Waqar Younis praised Hardik Pandya and said that the India vice-captain is very smart and if one pitch is slow and flat, then he can bring variations in his spell.

“It’s a luxury to have someone like him in the middle overs as he can bowl in all sorts of situations. He is smart and if the pitches are slow and flat, then he manages those slower deliveries and other variations. But when the ball is swinging around, he did exactly the same what Bumrah and Siraj did.

“He asked Babar to play a little away from the body and that’s what you need. You need a small gap to go through. It was a beautiful delivery that seamed back,” Waqar Younis said.

India will play against Sri Lanka in the fourth Super Fours match on Tuesday (September 12th) at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Tagged:

Asia Cup 2023 Babar Azam Hardik Pandya IND vs PAK 2023 India National Cricket Team India vs Pakistan 2023 Pakistan National Cricket Team Waqar Younis
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