Indian bowlers put on a clinical show to keep Pakistani batters in check during their Champions Trophy 2025 clash at the Dubai International stadium on February 23, Sunday. Pakistan batters had no clue to India's disciplined bowled as they were bundled out for a modest total of 241 despite Saud Shakeel's gritty fifty.
Saud Shakeel reveals reason behind Pakistan's boor batting
After the Pakistan's innings, Saud Shakeel revealed the reason behind Pakistan batters' evident struggles. He said earlier the ball was not coming onto the bat nicely and the pitch was slightly on the slower side.
"I was taking a chance, but it was not a good time to get out. Earlier, the ball was not coming onto bat nicely. There was swing too. Pitch was slightly on the slower side," Shakeel said during the mid-innings conversation.
However, despite Pakistan's shoddy batting, Shakeel is sure that his team can still make a comeback in the game by taking early wickets to put pressure on India.
"We have to take early wickets to put pressure on them," he added.
Pakistan's ordinary batting against India
Pakistan's relatively new opening partnership of Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq showed early promise, establishing a 41-run stand. However, Hardik Pandya provided a crucial breakthrough for India, dismissing Babar Azam with a catch behind the stumps. Babar contributed 23 runs off 26 deliveries, punctuated by five boundaries.
Imam-ul-Haq, returning to the Pakistani national team, struggled to capitalise on his cautious start. His innings was cut short by a run-out, executed by Axar Patel, in the subsequent over, leaving Pakistan at a precarious 47/2 in just 9.2 overs. This rapid loss of wickets put significant pressure on the middle order.
In response to these setbacks, captain Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel formed a crucial partnership, aiming to stabilize the innings. Their composed approach yielded a valuable 104-run stand for the third wicket. However, their partnership was broken when Axar Patel dismissed Rizwan in the 34th over. Rizwan contributed 46 runs from 77 deliveries, including three boundaries.
Shortly thereafter, Saud Shakeel, who had anchored the innings, followed Rizwan back to the pavilion. He top-scored with 62 runs off 76 balls, featuring five fours. Ravindra Jadeja further solidified India's advantage by dismissing Tayyab Tahir, reducing Pakistan to 165/5 in the 37th over.
Following the loss of key wickets, Pakistan's vice-captain Salman Ali Agha and Khushdil Shah attempted to rebuild, establishing a 35-run partnership that pushed their team's total past the 200-run mark. However, Kuldeep Yadav disrupted their momentum with two consecutive dismissals, halting any potential resurgence. Khushdil Shah then took on the responsibility of guiding the lower order, contributing a valuable 38 runs from 39 deliveries, including two boundaries. He also formed brief partnerships with Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, who added 14 and eight runs respectively, in an attempt to bolster the final score.
Kuldeep Yadav emerged as India's most effective bowler, securing three crucial wickets. Hardik Pandya supported him with two wickets, while Harshit Rana, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel each claimed one wicket, contributing to India's successful effort to restrict Pakistan's total.