The highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match in the Asia Cup 2023 was abandoned due to persistent rain on Saturday, September 2, much to the disappointment of cricket enthusiasts worldwide. Only one complete innings was possible, with India scoring 266 runs in 48.5 overs during their turn at the crease. After India’s innings, Pakistan was unable to begin their batting due to continued rain.
Consequently, the match had to be called off, resulting in both teams sharing points. Following the match’s conclusion, an image of Indian and Pakistani players enjoying each other’s company in the dressing rooms quickly went viral on social media. The viral picture depicted players like Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan, and more sharing laughter, promoting the “spirit of cricket.”
Notably, in recent matches between India and Pakistan, players have displayed remarkable camaraderie, setting aside the long history of intense verbal exchanges.
This picture sums it up! 🇵🇰🇮🇳♥️♥️♥️ #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/BX2XyoaYkP
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) September 2, 2023
The match was cancelled due to rain interference. Returning to the game, Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and made a surprising choice to bat first, despite overcast conditions and the likelihood of ongoing rain disruptions.
However, this decision didn’t yield positive results, as Pakistan’s fast bowlers dominated the Indian batsmen, causing them to slump to 66/4 in 14.1 overs. Shaheen Afridi, a longstanding adversary for India, struck early by dismissing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in consecutive overs.
India were rescued by the historic partnership between Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan
Following the early setbacks, Ishan Kishan (82 off 81) and Hardik Pandya (87 off 90) combined to build a crucial 138-run partnership off 140 deliveries, rescuing India from a potential collapse. Remarkably, this partnership marked the highest fifth-wicket stand for India against Pakistan. Thanks to their brilliant performance, India reached a competitive total of 266 runs in 48.5 overs.
Afridi excelled as Pakistan’s top bowler, securing impressive figures of 4/35 in ten overs, while Haris Rauf claimed three wickets for 58 runs in nine overs, and Naseem Shah also took three wickets, giving away 36 runs in 8.5 overs.
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