CHRIS DHAMBARAGE
COLOMBO – Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya struck fighting half centuries to lift India to 266 in their 2023 Asia Cup Cricket Tournament Group ‘A’ clash against the arch-rivals Pakistan at the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy on Saturday.
Wicket-keeper Kishan and all-rounder Pandya launched a superb counterattack against the Pakistan bowlers and added 138 for the fifth wicket after India had slumped to 66 for four by the 15th over.
Kishan led the charge by hoisting two sixes and stroking nine boundaries during his 81-ball 82 while Pandya accelerated after a slow start to compile a top score of 87 from 90 balls inclusive of one six and seven boundaries.
Paceman Haris Rauf dismissed Kishan in the 38th over while Shaheen Afridi sent back Pandya in the 44th over as Pakistan clawed their way back into the game through some disciplined bowling during the latter stages.
Afridi, who did the early damage with the newball, went on to finish with the best bowling figures of four wickets for 35 while Rauf finished with three for 58.
Earlier, Afridi delivered the initial blow by removing Captain Rohit Sharma for 11 runs from 22 deliveries in the fifth over after India had won the toss and elected to bat first in this historic tie.
The 23-year-old left-arm seamer followed up by claiming the prize-wicket of star batsman Virat Kohli for a seven-ball four runs to leave India struggling at 27 for two wickets in the seventh over.
Rauf ended Shreyas Iyer’s brief innings in the 10th over after the dashing right-hander had struck two superb boundaries and brought an end to opener Shubman Gill’s painstaking innings in the 15th over.
Naseem Shah then wrapped up the India innings in style as he picked up the last two wickets in the space of four deliveries to end with three wickets for 36.
Chief scores:
India: 266 in 48.5 overs (Rohit Sharma 11, Shubman Gill 10, Shreyas Iyer 14, Ishan Kishan 82, Hardick Pandya 87, Ravindra Jadeja 14, Jasprit Bumrah 16, Shaheen Afridi 4/35, Naseem Shah 3/36, Haris Rauf 3/58) vs Pakistan.