Pakistan's opener Mohammad Rizwan once again showed his talent as he played a great inning of 71 runs off 51 deliveries...
Digital Desk: Pakistan defeated India by five wickets in their first Super Four match of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday. After losing their first match in the group stage, Pakistan evened the score with a last-over spectacular in Dubai, chasing down the target of 182 runs with one ball to spare.
Pakistan's opener Mohammad Rizwan once again showed his talent as he played a great inning of 71 runs off 51 deliveries and teamed up with Mohammad Nawaz (42 off 20 balls) to set up a dramatic victory for his team despite India having a high target to defend.
In response to India's five-wicket defeat, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar claimed that he had already predicted Rohit Sharma & Co's thrashing at the hands of the Men in Green ahead of their Super Four clash. Following Pakistan's victory, Akhtar made some arrogant remarks and claimed he had warned his Indian fans not to celebrate too much following their team's success in the group stage.
"Meine Indians ko bhi kaha, bahut sare doosto ko bhi kaha tha ki itna khush hone ki zaruurat nahi hai, Pakistan will make a strong comeback, meine video mein bhi bola tha Pakistan ruthelessly marage Hindustan ko. (I told Indian fans and my friends to not get too happy as Pakistan will make a strong comeback and I had said in an earlier video that Pakistan will ruthlessly trounce India)," Akhtar said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Akhtar also slammed India's lineup selection for the game, saying Rohit Sharma and the Indian team management appeared 'confused.' India had to make two forced changes to their playing XI on Sunday, with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja ruled out due to a knee injury and fast bowler Avesh Khan suffering from a fever and unable to play.
However, Akhtar stated that India must choose between wicketkeepers Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik going forward, as well as whether players like Ravi Bishnoi and Deepak Hooda be a part of their long-term goals.
"India should decide what should be their final XI. Who is your future – is it Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Deepak Hood or Ravi Bishnoi? Find you final XI at least first, because, this is confused selection from India and I don’t know why is there so much confusion," said the former Pakistan pacer.
If both sides make it to the final, India and Pakistan would clash for the third time in the tournament. India must defeat Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in their next two games to have a chance, even though Pakistan is in a good position after defeating India in their first Super Four game.
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