The much-anticipated match between India and Pakistan that was scheduled to take place during the Asia Cup 2023 was postponed due to rain on Saturday, September 2, much to the dismay of cricket fans all around the world. India batted first and was bowled out for 266 in 48.5 overs. The match was interrupted multiple times because of rainstorms; therefore, only one inning of the game was able to be completed.
The fact that Pakistan was unable to bat after India’s innings was over further infuriated the crowd gathered at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele. Because of this, the game was ultimately called off, and the two teams ended up splitting their points. Following the conclusion of the match, a picture of Indian and Pakistani players laughing and smiling in the locker room quickly went viral on all of the various social media platforms.
This picture sums it up!
♥️♥️♥️ #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/BX2XyoaYkP
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) September 2, 2023
Players such as Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Rizwan were seen sharing a laugh together in the image that went viral. The image was intended to communicate the concept of the “spirit of cricket.” Notably, in the last few games played between India and Pakistan, players have demonstrated admirable friendliness with each other, putting a stop to a long history of harsh verbal exchanges between the two countries.
In any case, getting back to the contest, Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and made the unexpected decision to bat first despite the circumstances being cloudy and the possibility of repeated rain delays during the play.
After 14.1 overs, the Indian hitters were reduced to 66/4 thanks to the Pakistani seamers who were all over them. The choice did not prove to be profitable. Shaheen Afridi, an old adversary of India, took the first two wickets for his team when he smashed the stumps of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in consecutive overs. This gave his team the advantage.
The record-breaking stand by Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan saved India.
Ishan Kishan scored 82 runs off of 81 balls, and Hardik Pandya scored 87 runs off of 90 balls. Together, they put together a stand that scored 138 runs off of 140 balls, which stabilised India’s innings and prevented them from having a humiliating collapse. Importantly, this is the biggest fifth-wicket stand that India has ever achieved against Pakistan. India’s innings helped them attain a good total of 266 runs in 48.5 overs, which was a result of their success.
Afridi had the best bowling stats for Pakistan, taking four wickets in 35 runs off ten overs. Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah both took three wickets each in nine and eight and a half overs, respectively.
India
