Pakistan head coach Grant Bradburn, however, saw the positive side of it and deemed it as a gift since it exposed Pakistan's weak points which still needs fine tuning.India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2023 Highlights: With the entire second innings yet to be played, rain led to the India-Pakistan Asia Cup group stage game being called off in Pallekele on Saturday. Ishan Kishan (82) and Hardik Pandya (87) bailed India to 266 after Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf created havoc in the early stages. Afridi was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan with a 4-fer while Rauf and Naseem Shah nabbed three wickets each in a first-ever instance of pacers picking all 10 wickets in an Asia Cup game. Earlier, India captain Rohit Sharma had won the toss and opted to bat first in their tournament opener.
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Pitch Report by Ravi Shastri
This pitch has more grass than the previous one, the pitch that was used during Pakistan vs Nepal. This track looks slow and bounce can be on the lower side. The ball might grip early on, you might see spin. A score of 260-270 can be challenging on this wicket.
Playing XIs
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Pakistan Playing XI: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf
Follow IND vs PAK highlights from Kandy below
Pakistan players offer prayers prior to their training session in Pallekele on the eve of their clash against India. (Image courtesy - Venkata Krishna B)
Pallekele Weather:: Cricket fans, their bodies painted in the colors of the national flags of India and Pakistan, pose for photographs in Ahmedabad, India. (PTI)
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam (left) with India captain Rohit Sharma.
India's captain Rohit Sharma, right, and coach Rahul Dravid attend a practice session ahead of their Asia Cup match with Pakistan in Pallekele on Friday. (AP Photo)
It was a day where even the locals of Pallekele – who are welcoming a delayed monsoon — were hoping for rain gods to show mercy. Luckily, for them, they at least got to see Pakistan bowl and India bat – the box-office attraction from both teams – before the rains forced an abandonment after India set a target of 267. The evening wasn’t all about elemental fury, though, as Shaheen Shah Afridi turned on the heat to melt India’s top-order. Ironically, India’s middle order which has created a few headaches in recent times was the one that saved the blushes for them.
Venkata Krishna B draws the picture of a special spell casted by Pakistan's numero uno with the ball.
Sriram Veera: For nearly a decade, especially in the second half of their careers, the two Ws, Wasim and Waqar, had become more potent with the old ball. But now with Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, watching Pakistan use the new ball has become one of the greatest experiences out there in cricket. An extra cess can be added to the ticket. How wondrously did Shaheen knock down Rohit Sharma after the rain break. After a full-length inward curler was patted down convincingly by Rohit, Shaheen immediately changed his length - to good length. And got the ball to shape away to induce two fishy pokes from Rohit. Then came the knock-out blow, worth a gif. Again, from the good length, with the seam direction hardly revealing much but with the finger-flicking devilishness behind it. This one cracked back in, but Rohit was late: in getting forward, in covering the line, in reading the ball, and unsurprisingly, it knocked out the off peg.
Next, Shaheen Afridi prised out Virat Kohli with a far simpler delivery. This was one of those two balls that he had used to set-up Rohit - the one angling away from the seam. In fact, this was a touch wider than what he served up to Rohit. And it didn’t quite slant away from that line but sort of held up a bit. And so when, Kohli dangled his bat outside the line, hesitantly, unsurely, and it ricocheted off the inner edge to fall on his stumps. As is his wont these days, Kohli had a look at the pitch. The fault lay elsewhere.
Twelve years ago, when MS Dhoni hit the winning six at Wankhede, around 1740 kms far in Patna, a 12-year-old boy was packing his bags in Patna and was getting ready to move to Ranchi in search of a better cricketing future. Dhoni first shot to prominence with a big hundred against Pakistan; Kishan’s first shot of maturity has now come against Pakistan. Read Pratyush Raj's feature on one of India's chief protagonist on Saturday.
It wasn't a complete washout as many had feared. The Indian batting were offered a stern test against a pace attack touted as the best in the world by many, and one that showed up on the day. The trio of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah were at it from the word go and put India under pressure with early wickets. All of them would lead to a first instance of all 10 wickets being nabbed by quicks in the Asia Cup. But Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya provided a much needed shot in the arm to the Indian middle order. While Kishan - playing in a new role as opposed to opening the batting - showed he's made for the big occasion, Hardik Pandya's innings also put his ever so important stock value on the pedestal. Together, the two provided answers to the middle order conundrum with not much time left in the ODI World Cup. And, even though he didn't have a go with the ball, how good was it to see Jasprit Bumrah go about attacking with the bat.
There still remain a barrage of reservations as far as the batting is concerned but overall, it wasn't a bad Saturday out for Indian cricket.
While the first innings did have a couple of halts, the completion of India's innings would've given hopes to the thousands present at the Pallekele International Stadium that this high octane would be played to its entirety. But as soon as Jasprit Bumrah was nabbed by Naseem Shah, it started pelting in Kandy and we haven't seen a ball being bowled since. Latest visuals from the venue show the umpires having an exchange with the ground staff as the covers still lie on the entire ground.
WELL, THE PLAYERS ARE SHAKING HANDS AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE GAME HAS BEEN CALLED OFF.
When Ishan Kishan strode out after the second rain break, the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium was bathed in bright sunshine for the first time on Saturday. As Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf ran in, Kishan stood at the non-strikers end along one of the long shadows, an apt metaphor for his career. Read the first hand account of Venkata Krishna B from Pallekele of Ishan Kishan stepping up on the big day.
Positive visuals for the Indian fans as the players walk out for a warm up with the umpires having inspected the surface and it seems we may be good to go anytime now. With the DLS coming into play, Rohit Sharma and Co would keep their fingers crossed at the number of overs and runs that are cut from their account. Ishan Kishan is good to keep the wickets having looked in some discomfort towards the end of his innings. Jasprit Bumrah is itching to go as the umpires have a word with the two captains.
The next inspection from the umpires is underway as the ground staff applies the roller on the wicket at the Pallekele International Stadium. The latter have been at work since yesterday to protect the surface and the outfield and it has to be said, they've done a pretty good job to keep it preserved for a game of this magnitude.
Venkata Krishna B from Pallekele: The long rain break means we have a shortened second half coming up. We are losing overs since 8.20 PM which means there will be a revised DLS target for Pakistan.
The rain has stopped but looks like we will be in for a delay with over reductions coming in.
(Express photo: Venkata Krishna B)
Right then, latest visuals from Pallekele show the match referee Javagal Srinath having a chat with India head coach Rahul Dravid. It's only time that rain starts taking overs from this contest. So far there are all smiles in the India camp but as it often is, the team batting second has the advantage in a DLS-affected chase.
Shaheen Afridi: That was our plan with the new ball. I think both (Virat and Rohit) were crucial wickets, every batter is the same for me. But I think I liked Rohit's wicket better. The plans by our fast bowlers worked. Naseem is bowling at 150 kph, really happy with that, he's really fast. The new ball might swing and seam, nothing much after that. It will be easier to score runs once the ball gets old (in the run chase).
Fans outside a Delhi shop watching the final overs of Indian innings hoping Bumrah lasts till the 50th over.
(Express photo)
Well, proper 80s Bollywood turnaround that. Early tragedy with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf each striking twice to reduce India to 66/4. Enter Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya, who took their time to add a crucial 148 runs for the fifty wicket - India's highest fifth wicket stand in the Asia Cup. Pakistan spinners were unable to get in on the act and it took the finishing spells from the pacers to close the Indian innings that also featured a priceless Jasprit Bumrah cameo towards the end. 267 is what Babar Azam and Co will need to win
FUN FACT: It's the first time in Asia Cup history that all 10 wickets in an innings have been picked by pacers (four from Shaheen, three each from Naseem and Haris)
Naseem Shah wraps the innings for Pakistan. Claims Kuldeep Yadav with a caught behind before Jasprit Bumrah's entertaining cameo comes to an end with a good catch from Salman Agha at the boundary. India all out for 266.
Afridi into his last over. Goes round the wicket against the right-handed Bumrah and manages to tackle the tailender's attacking instincts. Another one of his big spells for Pakistan. Four wickets including the opening strikes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli that opened the path for Pakistan in this match - followed by the removal of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in his closing spell. Jasprit Bumrah leaves that last ball, almost as a sign of respect to Pakistan's pick of the bowlers. India, 261/8 after 48 overs.
First Afridi and now Rauf, Bumrah doesn't care of the reputation of Pakistan's quicks. Presses forward and has a crack on a wide outside the off stump fullish delivery through covers. Another boundary. India will take these runs. 257/8 after 47 overs.
Shaheen Shah Afridi to Jasprit Bumrah. In angling delivery and Bumrah goes after it - an uppish shot but lands safe and rolls down the long on boundary. There's a run out appeal off the last delivery but Kuldeep Yadav is back in the crease. 250 comes up for India. 252/8 after 46 overs.
Naseem Shah adds another to Pakistan's kitty. A third wicket in seven deliveries as Shardul Thakur goes for a flick but instead it takes a thick edge and Shadab Khan takes a good catch. India, eight down for 246.
Shaheen Shah Afridi back into the attack, and how!
A slower, full delivery outside off and Pandya finds Salman Agha at covers. Brings to an end a superb knock. Not a bad time to get a wicket that for Pakistan. And one brings two.
Ravindra Jadeja hadn't looked at ease and his short stay in the middle comes to an end as the southpaw edges one behind. India, seven down for 242 after 44 overs.
Naseem clocking up 140 plus consistently on the speedometer and Pandya has found it hard to tackle the pacer. A shake of the head from India's top scorer of the eve. An excellent over for Pakistan comes to an end. Just the two runs off it. 239/5 after 43 overs.
Sriram Veera: Haris Rauf and Pakistan will realise that the fields square and behind square on the off have to be carefully placed for Hardik Pandya. There is this shot he plays - rather cracks like a whip, and he played in the 40th over, which is the reason. When there is some width on offer outside off, irrespective of the length, he likes to whiplash them in that region. It’s one of the more fluent and violent whiplashes going around the cricketing world these days. That shot is the reason why CSK’s MS Dhoni has two men stationed for Pandya at the deep: a deep backward point, sometimes pretty square and one backward. Near the end, Pandya deals in with two main shots when he wants to go big: this whiplash and the meaty drag-pull where he almost stands on the off-stump guard and can scythe across. Opposing captains need to adjust or just re-watch highlights of how CSK go about doing it.
Jadeja finds his first boundary. A quick trek back inside the crease before pulling it through mid wicket for four. Pakistan's misery is compounded with a bobble in the field at point from Salman Agha as Hardik Pandya gets another boundary. Moves to 86 now. India, 237/5 after 42 overs.
Naseem Shah from the other end. Jadeja still looking to find his feet as Pandya shines his finishing boots. There are a couple half openings for a single off the last ball but Jadeja is sent back by Pandya. Five runs from this one. 226/5 after 41 overs.
Rauf continues and offers width outside the off stump. Make no mistake, it's quick. But Pandya has his eyes on the white cherry and rolls his wrists to cut it down third man for four. The next one, is a deft touch and it runs down the slip region for another boundary.
The pacer goes short in the over and Pandya is able to maul it through mid wicket for another boundary. Three fours in the over. 221/5 after 40 overs.
Shadab Khan from the other end. Pakistan need to pounce on the opening they've got with a new batter in. Hardik Pandya ensures he has a word with Ravindra Jadeja on the state of spin on this surface. Five runs come off the over. 209/5 after 39 overs.
He'd looked in discomfort while running a double in the last over and Kishan's stand comes to an end off a Haris Rauf bouncer. Miscues the pull shot and captain Babar Azam makes no mistake in the field. Pakistan needed that. A well made 82 from the 24-year-old, who seems to have locked in his middle overs spot for the near future. Jadeja is the new batter in. India go five down for 204.
Nawaz into his eighth over, and Kishan welcomes him with a standstill-deep-in-the-crease pull shot for four. A delivery later, Pandya stoops low and takes the aerial route, clearing the mid wicket ropes for his first six of the game. The gloves have come off, it seems. A BIG over this for the men in blue. 200 comes up. 202/4 after 37 overs.
STAT ALERT: Highest fifth wicket stand for India in Asia Cup (135 runs).
Haris Rauf back into the attack. A crucial spell for him as Pakistan continue their search of a wicket in Pallekele. Another loose piece of fielding display as Pandya-Kishan steal a double with the ball barely touching the grass outside the 30-yard circle on the off side. Four runs of the over. 187/4 after 36.
Ravi Shastri highlights the keynote of this Indian partnership which now moves to 117 runs. "They've got to it without taking any risks."
While Kishan has bagged boundaries off the odd bad deliveries, Pandya has channeled his inner-monk to rotate strike and negotiate mostly in singles and doubles. That Nawaz over - five singles - is symbolic of the stand. Remains to be seen how they go about their way in the last 15 overs. India, 183/4 after 35.
Salman Agha with a low full toss to start his over and Ishan Kishan laps it down short fine leg for four. Wow, this is some effort from the 24-year-old. At a new role. At the start of a big white-ball cricket season.
Hardik Pandya bats one down deep mid wicket to get to his fifty and the Indian dressing room stands to applaud a more measured innings. 178/4 after 34 overs.
Pandya hits a low shot down the ground and Shaheen Afridi does well to keep it away from the ropes. Three runs saved. Ishan Kishan though, finds the connection as he pelts one over the ropes for his second maximum of the eve. Keeps the strike with a single of the last ball. 168/4 after 33 overs.
Salman Agha continues from the other end. Offers width outside the off stump and Kishan misses on the cut shot. There's a half-hearted caught behind appeal. Given as a wide by the umpire.
With Kishan having got to his fifty, Pandya is closing in on his. Four runs off the over. 160/4 after 32.
Shadab Khan was on the money in Pakistan's opener against Nepal back home in Multan earlier this week. A four-wicket haul to seal a 238-run win. It was expected that he'd be crucial in Pallekele after that Sri Lanka-Bangladesh game produced a spin conducive wicket. This one has been anything but. Shadab however, hasn't exactly been on the mark as well. A full toss here and there, unable to stop singles from being exchanged, he hasn't got the grip of the ball or the game here. 41 runs have come off his seven overs. 150 up for India. 156/4 after 31.
"It's definitely a 250 plus wicket," claims Matthew Hayden.
The partnership is up to 83 runs now. Pakistan in a desperate search for another wicket as Kishan and Pandya continue on their comeback trail. That Shaheen Afridi misfield in the last over displayed the drop of shoulders in the Pakistan camp over the last few overs. With Gill back in the hut as the fourth Indian wicket at the score of 66, India have managed to put themselves in a pretty good position with 20 overs left to play. 149/4 after 30.
Ishan Kishan notches up a fourth consecutive ODI fifty. This time in the middle. This time, in an India-Pakistan game. His first fifty score against the men in green. Can he get the big one? Goes after a Shadab Khan half-tracker to pull another four out of his proverbial hat. He ain't done yet. 147/4 after 29 overs.
Salman Agha into the attack. And the sixth bowler Pakistan have called today starts off with a front-foot no-ball. Lucky for him, Kishan is unable to connect by coming down the track off the free hit. "Runs are coming in easy for India, no need to worry," says Wasim Akram on the broadcast with little turn on offer for the Pakistan slower bowlers. Five come off the over, India are 140/4 after 28.
Shaheen Afridi continues and changes his angle by coming around the wicket to the right hander. Former Pakistan left-arm quick Waqar Younis shares a priceless takeaway from his career. 'Even when the ball wasn't reversing, I'd switch to around the wicket. Just to confuse the batter.' That seems to be the case here as well.
'Well, it was a pretty good habit. 1000 odd international wickets,' retorts Ravi Shastri on comms.
Just the one run of Afridi's latest. India are 135/4 after 27 overs.
Nawaz from over the wicket to Kishan. A juicy half-volley outside the off stump and the southpaw steers it through covers for four. He'd take that as a gift. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri would mention on comms a couple of overs back: 'A young Kishan being offered a role at number five, I don't think he's done his reputation any harm. Just goes to show how important it is to have left handers in your batting order."
The left armer bowls in the same territory again but Kishan is unable to time or place it wide of mid off. After 26 overs, India are 134/4.
Change of pace as Shaheen Afridi comes in to bowl his sixth over. Goes short but slow and Hardik Pandya takes him on with a fierce pull shot down mid wicket for four. The left armer closes the over with one of his trademark yorkers as Pandya tracks back to get some bat on it. Halfway through the innings, India are 127/4.
Pandya dissects the field behind square on the off side to run two as Nawaz's fourth over costs just the four runs. Against the right hander, from around the wicket, Nawaz has angled the ball in on the middle and off stump. Hence, runs behind the wicket have become increasingly difficult to score. India, 121/4 after 24 overs.
Another set of dark clouds coming towards the stadium. When it gets dark at that side, it usually a sign of concern.
Several fans still making entry to the stadium. This got to be one of the lowest turnouts for an India vs Pakistan fixture even in a neutral venue.
Photo: Venkata Krishna B
With a surface that puts batters on a proactive lookout for turn, Nawaz was always going to be handy. He's started off well but Pakistan would want him to break this stand. Fifty run partnership up between Kishan and Pandya for the fifth wicket. Nawaz closes his third with just 15 runs negotiated so far. Shadab from the other end has given away 27 off his five overs. 117/4 after 23 overs.
Shadab Khan with width on offer outside the off stump and at this point Ishan Kishan barely needs an invitation to go after it. Gets it past the backward point fielder for four. The southpaw managed to negotiate against the Pakistan quicks after a flurry of wickets early on. There were inhibitions around his place in the playing XI, given the fact that his last ODI series for India saw him nail three consecutive fifties while opening the batting. In his middle overs avatar, in a crunch game, Kishan has brought his A game but India will need more from him. 108/4 after 21 overs.
A round of applause from the largely subdued Indian supporters at Pallekele as the scoreboard shows 100 runs for the loss of four wickets. With Pakistan bringing spin into the attack from both ends, Kishan and Pandya will favor their odds to free arms in these overs. Interesting passage of play in the making. 102/4 after 20 overs.
Left-arm spinner Nawaz is brought into the attack and a delivery which he bowled went past the outside edge of Kishan. The Pakistan fielders appealed half-heartedly and Babar decided to take a review and Ultra Edge showed there was nothing on it. A review burned. Both Kishan and Pandya are looking to build a partnership here. After 17.4 overs India 92/4
This has been a brilliant spell from Rauf. Though he went for a few runs early on in his spell once he got that wicket of Iyer he got his line and length right and has been bowling with some serious pace. He has bowled five overs in this spell and it mind be the end of it. Babar might now turn to his other spin option. After 17.1 overs India 90/4
Will India take the counter-attacking route or bat sensibly and look to take the game deep without loosing too many wickets and exploding at the end it would be fascinating to see. Ishan Kishan looks like he will be going after the bowling we have to wait and see if Hardik Pandya does the same. After 16 overs India 83/4
Haris Rauf picks up his second wicket of the evening. It was a nothing shot at the end by Gill. He hung his bat out there and the ball moved a little bat and hit the stumps. This is a massive wicket as Gill has spent time in the middle and was looking solid to score a big one. After 14.2 overs India 70/4
As the sun is shining bright now Babar has decided to throw the ball to his leg-spinner Shadab Khan. The commentators reckon that it might turn a bit however, there were no signs of it in the first over of spin. After 14 overs India 66/3