Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh criticised Pakistan's senior players Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf for not delivering when their side needed it the most and also trying to rile up Indian batters during their Asia Cup clash. Notably, the two Pakistan seamers were involved in heated arguments with Indian batters Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill. Harbhajn wasn't a fan of the Pakistan players' attitude and called them out for not taking responsibility.
"If talks were to win the game, I think they would have won. But it was between bat and ball, and I think that’s where India were far, far ahead of Pakistan," Harbhajan told Sports Today.
“Their senior bowlers like Haris or Shaheen Shah Afridi, they went for plenty. They couldn’t get a single wicket in the first six overs. They are the most experienced players. So if your experienced players are only shouting and talking, and not able to deliver with the ball or bat, you’ll see the results they are getting," he added.
Indian batters dominated against Pakistan
The Pakistan bowlers' mind games didn't end up working on the Indian batters as they got smacked around the stadium by Abhishek and Gill. Despite not being able to deliver on the field, Rauf was even seen taunting Indian fans while fielding on the boundary rope. Though he did manage to pick up two wickets, it turned out to be quite a forgetful day for Shaheen as he failed to take any wicket and gave away 40 runs in his spell of 3.5 overs. India eventually won the match comfortably by six wickets.
Meanwhile, Harbhajan expressed confidence in the Indian team and remarked that they will be doing their talking with the bat and the ball, once again taking a dig on Pakistan players.
“Let them talk, we will talk with the bat and ball, and we will answer when required the best,” Harbhajan concluded.
India to take on Bangladesh next
Coming to the Asia Cup, Pakistan will be looking to bounce back from the defeat when they face-off against Sri Lanka on September 23. On the other hand, India will be hoping to continue their unbeaten streak in the tournament when they clash against Bangladesh on September 24.