India vs Pakistan LIVE Score and Updates, Asia Cup 2023: IND 27/2; Afridi castles Rohit, Kohli after resumption of play
India vs Pakistan LIVE Score and Updates, Asia Cup 2023: IND 27/2; Afridi castles Rohit, Kohli after resumption of play
16:18 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
After 7 overs,India 30/2 ( Shubman Gill 1 , Shreyas Iyer 1)
Shreyas Iyer joins Shubman Gill at the centre, batting for the first time since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in March, but finds himself out earlier than expected with India losing both Rohit and Kohli in successive overs from Afridi with less than 30 on board. For Gill and Iyer to mount a rescue from here, they will have to weather the storm for a bit and see out a few overs.
16:12 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
BOWLED! Two wickets in two overs for Shaheen Afridi, and he gets rid of Virat Kohli in his very next over! The Men in Blue suddenly in deep trouble, with the left-arm pacer making the most of the variable conditions to inflict early blows to the opposition. IND 27/2
Kohli b Afridi 4(7)
16:10 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
After 6 overs,India 26/1 ( Shubman Gill 0 , Virat Kohli 4)
FOUR! New batter Virat Kohli doesn't take long to bring out his trademark cover drive! Full delivery outside off, and a player of Kohli's stature isn't one to let that go. Big over from Naseem, who also ends up conceding five wides down the leg side two balls before the boundary.
16:03 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
After 5 overs,India 15/1 ( Shubman Gill 0 , Virat Kohli 0)
BOWLED! Looks like the rain break did benefit the Pakistani bowlers after all! And it's the inswinging delivery after a couple of outswingers that brings Rohit's downfall once again! Fullish delivery from Afridi angles in, narrowly beats Rohit's inside edge and clips the top of the off stump.
Rohit b Afridi 11(22)
16:00 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
Right then, the players are back at the centre as all the covers have been taken off by the ground staff and the drizzle has come to a complete halt. Remains to be seen if the interruption helps the bowling side get a breakthrough. Here's Shaheen Afridi set to bowl out the remainder of his fifth over.
15:45 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
It does look somewhat brighter at Pallekele at the moment, courtesy the latest visuals coming in on our television sets. The covers are also slowing being taken away. Here's hoping we don't face too long a delay and a reduction in overs.
15:36 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
Rohit Sharma’s last three ODI knocks against Pakistan:
140 in Manchester, 2019 World Cup (Group Stage)
111* in Dubai, 2018 Asia Cup (Super Fours)
52 in Dubai, 2018 Asia Cup (Group Stage)
0 at The Oval, 2017 Champions Trophy (final)
91 at Edgbaston, 2017 Champions Trophy (Group Stage)
The 'Hitman' certainly does love batting against this opposition.
15:29 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
After 4.2 overs,India 15/0 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 11 , Shubman Gill 0)
Rain makes its way to the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, forcing the ground staff to bring the covers out right away and the players and umpires to make a hasty retreat to the pavilion!
The drizzle had grown a little heavy in the fourth over, and gets a lot heavier two balls into Afridi's third over. Let's hope the dark clouds part soon enough and we get some quality cricket action back on our TV screens.
15:23 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
After 4 overs,India 15/0 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 11 , Shubman Gill 0)
Another tidy over from Naseem, in which he concedes just one run — a wide. Manages to keep Gill on the backfoot throughout the over. Starts off with a vicious outswinger that swings a mile. Later in the over, Gill pulls out of his stance just when Shah is about to release the ball. Meanwhile, it's starting to rain out there in Pallekele, and things aren't looking too good right now.
15:18 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
After 3 overs,India 14/0 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 11 , Shubman Gill 0)
FOUR! Second boundary of the Indian innings, this one also coming off Rohit's bat. Full from Afridi, and 'Hitman' rolls his wrists to send this flying over the backward square-leg region! Ball landed just short of the advertising cushion, hence adjudged a four. Just one off Afridi's second over besides the boundary.
15:13 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
After 2 overs,India 10/0 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 7 , Shubman Gill 0)
Naseem Shah steams in from the other end, operating with the other new ball. We get to see some variable bounce in this over, with a couple of deliveries staying low after pitching outside off. Three added to the Indian total in the second over, including a leg bye. Tidy start for Naseem.
15:11 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
After 1 over,India 6/0 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 5 , Shubman Gill 0)
Testing first over from Shaheen Afridi, who once again decides to start off with yorker-length deliveries to Rohit. The 'Hitman' this time is prepared for these sharp, inswinging deliveries, and firmly blocks the first one before flicking the next one past square leg for a four. The flick was a bit aerial, and the Indians would have had their hearts in their mouth for a moment. Rohit gets off strike with a single off the penultimate delivery. Shubman Gill's first delivery against Pakistan at the senior level is a wide down the leg side. Six off the first over.
15:05 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
FOUR! First runs on the board for Team India, and this comes off Rohit's bat! Afridi starts off with back-to-back yorker-length balls, and the India skipper flicks the second one, albeit a bit aerially, to the left of the diving square-leg fielder. IND 4/0
15:03 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
With the 'Jana Gana Mana' and the 'Qaumi Tarana' sung by the Indian and Pakistani teams respectively as well as their sets of fans in the stands, it's time for some high-octane cricket to take centrestage!
Rohit Sharma walks out to the middle alongside Shubman Gill, with Shaheen Shah Afridi getting ready to send down the first over.
14:56 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
Ravi Shastri analyses the Pallekele pitch ahead of start of play:
“Little more grass on the surface. On the outside, this appears to be a little slow. Bounce could be on the lower side as the game progresses. Little bit with the new ball. 290 is supposed to be average, but in the last game, 230 would have been a winning score. Team that has won the toss has made the right decision. Try and get in excess of 260-270.”
14:45 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
Teams:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf
14:41 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
Rohit Sharma, India captain: There is a bit of weather around, but we can’t think too much about it. At the end of the day, we’ve got to come out and play good cricket. Luckily we had some time off after the West Indies series. All in all it was a good prep for us. It’s a quality tournament with quality opposition. From last ODI we played in West Indies, we’ve got a few additions. Shreyas, Bumrah are back. We’ve got three seamers, Shardul, Bumrah and Siraj. Two spinners, Jadeja and Kuldeep
Babar Azam, Pakistan captain: We’ve played together a lot of cricket here for the last two months, so we know the conditions. Before the World Cup we have a good opportunity to utilise the series. Combination is same, we are playing the same team. We’ll try to utilise that confidence. Pakistan-India match is always a tight match. We are calm and cool. I just asked them to enjoy this.
14:32 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
TOSS: India win the toss, and skipper Rohit Sharma opts to bat.
14:20 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE
The covers come off as the drizzle stops in Pallekele. Remember, the scheduled time of the toss is at 2.30 pm IST which is 10 minutes from now
14:18 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE Updates
There's been a slight drizzle and the square is under covers. However, it may be just a passing shower and there is not much to worry about at the moment.
14:05 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE updates
AB de Villiers feels India will have to get rid of Babar Azam early if they are to keep Pakistan quiet. "He (Babar) is a huge rock in the Pakistan batting order. If India wants to keep Pakistan quiet, this is the guy to dismiss early because he keeps the batting lineup together and acts as a glue in the Pakistan middle-order,” said De Villiers. Click here to read more.
13:45 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE updates
Though they retain their favourites tag entering the tournament, Rohit and Co will know that the path to an eighth Asian title will be far from easy. Especially due to the manner in which Pakistan is firing on all cylinders at the moment. As well as the fact that a majority of the matches in the ‘Hybrid Model’ that hosts Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have been forced to adopt take place in Sri Lanka’s backyard.
Amit Banerjee previews India's Asia Cup campaign. Click here to read the article.
13:32 (IST)
India vs Pakistan LIVE updates
When it comes down to a rivalry like India vs Pakistan, it's those player battles that could decide the outcome of the contest. There will be a fewkey players who would be looking to give their best. Here, we take a look at key player battles that could decide the game.
13:16 (IST)
India vs Pakistan head-to-head
India and Pakistan have played each other 13 times in the ODI format of the Asia Cup. India have won seven matches, with Pakistan emerging victorious on five occasions. One match ended in a no-result.
In ODIs overall, the two teams have faced off in 132 matches. Pakistan hold an advantage over India in this, winning 73 matches compared to India's record of 55 wins.
13:03 (IST)
The quality of India vs Pakistan, the history of the clash and the importance of it tops all other rivalries in the Asia Cup. One could well make a case that this is bigger than even the Ashes given the subtext of political tensions between the two countries. Fact that they don’t play each other regularly adds to the anticipation for fans and non-regular watchers alike.
Click here to read the match preview
12:41 (IST)
Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the blockbuster Asia Cup 2023 match between India and Pakistan in Pallekele. The match adds as a dress rehearsal for what's to come: The ODI World Cup. It should be an exciting affair as we hope the rain Gods stay away. Stay tuned for more updates.
Preview: It’s time for the marquee contest of the 2023 Asia Cup —India vs Pakistan in Pallekele. This group match will act as a dress rehearsal of what’s to come — The two teams face off against each other again in the ODI World Cup on 14 October in Ahmedabad.
But between now and then, the arch-rivals could meet thrice in the Asia Cup. Should both India and Pakistan qualify for the Super Fours, they will lock horns in Colombo on 10 September, and could meet once again if the two teams make the Asia Cup final on 17 September.
India will be without the services of KL Rahul, who is out of the first two games with a niggle. However, India are ready to welcome back Shreyas Iyer, who has missed almost six months of competitive cricket due to a back injury he suffered in March.
Also returning to the ODI side is Jasprit Bumrah, who had missed almost a year’s action of cricket due to a recurring back injury.
Bumrah recently made his India comeback in the three-match T20I series against Ireland in Dublin, captaining the side to a 2-0 series win. Bumrah picked four wickets in that series, and would be raring to go once again, in the Asia Cup.
With Rahul not fit yet, that gives Ishan Kishan another chance to shine. Kishan scored three successive half-centuries in the ODIs against West Indies, and would be looking to continue that run of form and maybe even amass a century.
Kishan and Shreyas Iyer could very well fit in that middle-order, with skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill most likely to open.
Shaheen Shah Afridi remains Pakistan’s X-factor especially thanks to his ability to strike with the new ball.
Another pacer in form is Haris Rauf, who took two wickets against Nepal. Shadab Khan, however stood out against Nepal with four wickets, but will face a different challenge against India altogether.
Babar Azam, the Pakistan skipper, remains the team’s most valuable batter and with Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed’s presence, that adds stability to the middle-order batting.
What could spoil all the fun on Saturday is the weather. Rain is predicted for Saturday, with 76 per cent chance of it during the day, while overnight thunderstorms are also predicted.
But, nevertheless, let’s hope the rain Gods stay away and we witness a full-fledged cricket match.
Squads:
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (travelling reserve).
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir (travelling reserve).
What's Your Reaction?
