- Tuesday, March 11, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
Former Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar was in his disappointed best with the mega clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup in Dubai, the UAE, on Sunday (28) saying both made strong efforts to lose the game but it was Hardik Pandya who took the defending champions across the line. He was also critical of Pakistan openers Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, also the captain.
Pakistan bowlers fought hard to defend the total of 147 that their batters managed and India could overhaul the target with two balls and five wickets to spare.
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Tightly fought match but both teams played poor cricket at times. Some bad captaicy as well.
Full video: https://t.co/kfIqHUtAEn pic.twitter.com/OcoIWOXS2r
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) August 28, 2022
Pandya, who led the Gujarat Titans to Indian Premier League win in May this year, excelled with both the ball and bat as he scored a crucial 33 not out after taking three Pakistan wickets for 25 runs. His 52-run partnership with spinner-all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (35 off 29) for the fifth wicket took India across the line after a mini collapse in the top order. Pandya hit the winning runs with a six after India needed as many in three balls.
“Both teams tried their best to lose the game and India almost succeeded in doing so. India tried their best to lose the game but Hardik Pandya took them across the line,” said Akhtar on his YouTube channel after the thriller ended.
Speaking on Pakistan’s batting performance, Akhtar said opener Rizwan’s 42-ball 43 disrupted Pakistan’s goal of setting a big target for the opponents. Rizwan scored four boundaries and one six before getting out to a well-directed short ball from Pandya.
“If Rizwan plays at a run-a-ball rate, then what will happen? 19 dot balls in first 6 overs. If you will play so many dot balls then you will face problems,” said the 47-year-old former tearaway first bowler.
He was also criticised Azam over opening the innings for his country. “I have said this multiple times that Babar Azam shouldn’t open. He should come one down and anchor the innings till the end,” he said.
Azam also fell to a short ball from spearhead Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the third over while trying to pull, giving his team an early setback.
In the T20 World Cup at the same venue last year, it was Rizwan and Azam who had given Pakistan a thumping 10-wicket victory over India while chasing 152.
