Pakistan through to Super Fours after washout. Afridi, Naseem and Rauf shared ten wickets to dismiss India for 266 before rain ruined the chase.
Brief Score: India 266 all out (Hardik 87, Kishan 82, Shaheen 4-35) vs Pakistan – match abandoned
Two exceptional batters, three fierce pacers, and three rain interruptions all converged in disappointment for the fans at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium during the highly anticipated Asia Cup clash between India and Pakistan.
Persistent drizzle began towards the end of India’s batting innings, forcing the match officials to formally call off the game at 9.52 p.m., just 35 minutes before the cut-off time for a 20-over chase. By then, the entire outfield had been covered with tarpaulin sheets.
The groundstaff, despite their tireless efforts throughout the day, wore a disheartened expression. So did the 20,000 fans who stayed, hoping for an exciting finish. However, they had to settle for a topsy-turvy first half that ultimately amounted to nothing.
India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, chose to bat after winning the toss, but it was far from an ideal start. After a 35-minute rain delay following 4.2 overs, Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Rohit with an inswinger that breached his defense after a couple of outswingers.
Afridi continued to shine, with Virat Kohli losing his wicket to him after a crisp square drive. When Shreyas Iyer was caught by Mohammad Nawaz at midwicket while pulling Haris Rauf, India found itself in a precarious position at 48 for 3, succumbing to the pressure of a big match.
Ishan Kishan, playing at No. 5 for the first time, joined the fray. After a brief 20-minute rain interruption, Shubman Gill was bowled by Haris Rauf.
At 66 for 4, Ishan and vice-captain Hardik Pandya formed a partnership. Once spin was introduced, this left-right combination made batting look easy.
Thanks to Ishan and Hardik’s 138-run partnership, with Ishan contributing 82 runs (81 balls, 9×4, 2×6) and Hardik with 87 runs (90 balls, 7×4, 1×6), India managed to post a respectable total of 266 before folding in the penultimate over.
Without this partnership, India might have been dismissed much earlier. Apart from a top-edged pull that was misjudged at deep square leg, Ishan played a fluent innings. He was particularly aggressive against spinners but displayed his intent immediately after replacing Shreyas Iyer, who was dismissed while attempting a pull shot off Haris Rauf.
With Ishan in fine form, Hardik initially played a more conservative role and only started attacking after Ishan was dismissed in the 38th over. Unfortunately, like Ishan, Hardik also fell in the 80s, leading to a collapse. India lost the last five wickets for 27 runs.
Jasprit Bumrah’s brief cameo helped India cross the 260-run mark, but rain interrupted the game again and continued until it was eventually abandoned.
As a result, Pakistan became the first team to qualify for the Super Four, while India will need to defeat Nepal on Monday to join them.
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