India’s second comprehensive and comfortable victory over Pakistan in this year’s Asia Cup has brought into sharp focus how far apart the two teams remain in terms of the quality they have on offer.
India took control of their chase in the Super 4 match in Dubai despite a strong batting performance, with Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma’s 105-run partnership taking control and making the result an inevitability.
India’s opening batters found it supremely easy in the powerplay overs against Pakistan’s seamers, taking them for plenty of runs and showing far more comfort than their predecessors in the infamous losses of the World Cup 2021 and Asia Cup 2022. While India’s top order collapsed against the likes of Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf on those occasions, this time was a different story.
Afridi, in particular, was taken for 40 runs in 3.5 overs, remaining wicketless after Abhishek hit him for a first-ball six. He found himself under heavy fire after a very tame spell, not having impressed at the international level since his breakthrough a few years ago.
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Former Indian domestic star and A team captain Priyank Panchal took him to task, using his X account to criticise the left-arm seamer for his toothlessness.
“I’ll always fail to understand the hype around Shaheen Afridi. Classic case of a few good deliveries years ago lengthening someone’s faltering career.,” wrote Panchal. “No zip, no pace, no discipline. I’ve seen first-class bowlers deliver better spells with more consistency,” said the former Gujarat batter, who retired as one of the best domestic performers in India over the last decade or so.
Pakistan’s ‘false bravado’ torn down by Panchal
While Haris Rauf was more potent, taking two wickets for 26 runs, those came late in the innings with India already cruising towards a win. He wasn’t able to dislodge Abhishek or Gill, and got criticism for his antics on the field that instigated the Indian players and crowd.
“I struggle to remember the last time Haris Rauf was effective. All talk, no play,” said Panchal of the pacer.
He went on to question Pakistan’s approach to team-building and tournaments such as these, which the team always enters with high expectations but ends up being outplayed and outworked in. He questioned the ‘hype’ and tore down the facade of ‘bravado’ that the team employs in favour of consistency on the field.
“The whole Pakistani team is built on players hyped up internally by their ecosystem, who fizzle out internationally. False bravado can only take you so far in a game rewarding meritocracy,” concluded the recently retired batter.
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