India seems to be finding the right pieces ahead of the eagerly-anticipated ODI World Cup, addressing concerns in their top-order, middle-order, and bowling.
They handed Pakistan a crushing 228-run defeat during the rain-affected Super Four clash of the Asia Cup, causing some anxiety for their arch-rivals. While India appeared flawless in all aspects of the game, Pakistan struggled to avoid a landslide loss.
Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi criticized the Men in Green, emphasizing that winning or losing is acceptable, but the intent was lacking in Pakistan’s game against India.
“Winning/losing is part of competing, but not putting up a fight, not showing intent to win is just poor. Exactly what I was referring to in my previous tweet. India played as #1 on the field, batting & bowling.”
“Congrats @imVkohli on achieving another dream milestone of ODI runs and well-crafted by you and KL Rahul Chin up boys, you can do better than this, next match #PakvsIND,” Afridi wrote on his X account.
https://x.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1701292798194909397?s=20
India defeated Pakistan by 228 runs in the Asia Cup 2023 Super Four game
Despite winning the toss, Babar Azam’s decision to let India bat first turned out to be problematic for his team throughout the game.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill’s explosive performances gave India an excellent start, and then KL Rahul and Virat Kohli showcased their dominance with impressive centuries in Colombo.
Kohli, with his classic style, treated the fans to a variety of shots while Rahul, in his comeback, settled the debate about the number four position with his solid knock of 111* from 106 balls.
India’s batsmen performed exceptionally well, enabling them to set an imposing target of 357 runs for Pakistan. When Pakistan began their chase, the fierce opening spells by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj didn’t allow them any respite.
This was followed by Kuldeep Yadav’s outstanding performance, as he claimed five wickets in his bid to secure a spot in the World Cup squad, ultimately leading India to a massive victory.
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