The Asia Cup 2023 clash between India vs Pakistan may have been cut short by rain, but it still offered a glimpse into the readiness of India's batting unit. The men in blue managed to play out their innings, but not without familiar challenges.
A recurring theme for India in recent World Cup tournaments has been the top-order's vulnerability against Pakistan's potent pace attack. The figures of 31/3 in Dubai during the 2021 World Cup, 31/4 in Melbourne the following year, and the recent 66/4 in Pallekele are a testament to this trend. Central to these collapses has been the wicket of Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma.
In the recent encounter, Rohit, after striking a few boundaries off Shaheen Shah Afridi, fell to the left-arm pacer in the fifth over. This dismissal echoed their T20 World Cup face-off from a couple of years ago. Former Pakistan speedster, Shoaib Akhtar, believes that these aren't mere coincidences. He suggests that Afridi might have gained a psychological advantage over the Indian captain.
"Yeh Rohit Sharma woh Rohit Sharma hai hi nahi. Yeh uska stunt double hai (This is not the same Rohit Sharma. This is his stunt double)," Akhtar commented.
He further elaborated, “Shaheen has made his way into his mind. I have never seen Rohit change his stance, but what was happening there? He changed it, was beaten and bowled. Shaheen is subconsciously in his mind. This is what pressure of India vs Pakistan match do to players,” he added.
As India gears up for its Super Fours match against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 10 in Sri Lanka, the team dynamics and strategies will be under intense scrutiny. Matches between India vs Pakistan have always been high-voltage encounters, with every move and decision under the microscope.
“India has not been a settled squad for the past two years. It’s just a very strange thing for me because you don’t know who has to settle where. But having said that, you know, I’m all for Rohit. I’m all for Virat Kohli. I’m all for all those players, but every day you have to perform because you’ve got a name," said Shoaib Akhtar.
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