Asia Cup 2022, Super Four, IND vs PAK: Key takeaways
Pakistan clinched an enthralling five-wicket win over India in the Super Four stage in Asia Cup. Batting first, Team India rallied to 181/7, riding on a fiery show from Virat Kohli (60). Shadab Khan (2/31) bowled the best figures for Babar Azam's men. Later, Mohammad Rizwan (71) and Mohammad Nawaz (42) laid the foundation for the chase (182/5). Here are the takeaways.
Rohit, Rahul roar in the PP overs
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul were off to a flier and brought up India's fifty in just 4.2 overs. Although Haris Rauf dismissed Rohit(28) in the sixth over, the damage was done. India scored 62/1 in six overs, their highest T20I score against Pakistan in the Powerplay. Rahul (20-ball 28) departed right after PP but showed signs of getting back his mojo.
Kohli is back!
Virat Kohli showcased his clutch gene in the rematch against the arch-nemesis. Coming in at 54/1, the Run Machine smacked a 44-ball 60, hitting four fours and a six. It was his 32nd fifty in T20Is and fourth against Pakistan. Most notably, it was his second fifty in the tournament, having cracked a crisp 59* against Hong Kong. Is vintage Kohli back?
Babar's forgettable run continues
Babar Azam has looked like a pale shadow of himself in the Asia Cup. He hasn't stayed past the powerplay and managed scores of 10, 9, and 14. Spinners have troubled Babar, who was dismissed by Ehsan Khan versus Hong Kong and by Ravi Bishnoi in the concluded fixture. Interestingly, the right-hander had three back-to-back fifties in internationals before the tourney was underway.
Pant comes up short
Rishabh Pant replacing Dinesh Karthik turned out to be a fiasco. Coming in at 91/3, the wicket-keeper batter looked cautious before smashing boundaries off Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan. The latter, however, had the last laugh as he bowled a googly which Pant reverse-swept to Asif Ali at backward point. It was yet another careless show from the 24-year-old, who managed a 10-ball 14.
Suryakumar has had a quiet run against Pakistan
Suryakumar Yadav has all shots in his arsenal. However, he hasn't fired to the potential versus Pakistan in 20-overs cricket. As per ESPNcricinfo, The prolific batter has amassed 42 runs across three innings, averaging a poor 14.00. His scores read 11(8) in the 2021 T20 World Cup, 18(18) in the Asia Cup 2022 Group stage, and now 13(10) in the Super Four stage.
Nawaz excels on both fronts
Nawaz had a field day at work and who better than the arch-rivals? The left-arm spinner booked miserly figures of 1/25 in the first innings. Nawaz, who is a noted striker of the ball, put forth his hard-hitting prowess with a superb 20-ball 42. He slapped six fours and two sixes to register his highest score against India in 20-overs cricket.
Runs galore for Rizwan at Asia Cup 2022
Rizwan's insatiable thirst for runs saw the opener bash a match-winning 51-ball 71, with six fours and two sixes. He fetched a hefty 73-run stand with Nawaz to keep Pakistan in the hunt. However, a slower one outside off from Hardik Pandya trumped the former. Nevertheless, Rizwan extended his stellar run in the tourney, having scored 43 (vs India) and 78* (vs Hong Kong).
