The blockbuster contest between India and Pakistan on Sunday came in favor of India at Dubai International Stadium. Team India beat Pakistan by 5 wickets to win a close encounter in the Asia Cup 2022.
Meanwhile, the former Pakistani legend Wasim Akram has raised the question over Babar Azam’s captaincy and marked an error that costs Pakistan to lose to battle against India.
India restricted Pakistan to 147 in 19.5 overs, thanks to the amazing spells from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the team’s all-rounder Hardik Pandya. When India came to chase the target, they lost opener KL Rahul on duck. After that team’s star batter, Virat Kohli and Captain Rohit Sharma raised the partnership and cooked 49 runs in between.
Seeing the partnership going big, Pakistani Captain Babar Azam handed the ball to the spinner Mohammad Nawaz who dismissed both Kohli and Rohit Sharma and turned the game for his team. After bowling the 12th over, Nawaz did not come to bowl and for this Wasim Akram raised a question about this tactic by Babar Azam.
While having a conversation on star sports, Wasim Akram said, “I like this T20 type of pitch. I enjoyed watching bowlers bowl bouncers and getting wickets, on both sides. It was a good cricketing game that went down to the wire till the last over. Babar made one mistake. He should have had Nawaz bowl the 13th or 14th over. It was too late. You can’t have a spinner in T20s bowling in the last 3 to 4 overs, especially against the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya.”
The delay by captain Babar Azam in bringing Mohammad Nawaz to the attack eventually took the game away from Pakistan, and Hardik Pandya and Jadeja helped India to win a thriller in this much-anticipated match.
Wasim Akram further added, “He is a very clever bowler, Nawaz. He had just bowled the straighter one and got the inside edge. Well done India. They won the game. Congratulations. But I was impressed by Pakistan’s bowler. Dahani, playing his 3rd or 4th game, Naseem Shah, 20-21 years old playing his first game, Haris Rauf has been consistent for Pakistan and every bowler tried their heart out. You can see that the future is bright for Pakistan as far as fast bowling is concerned.”
