Tag: Pakistan vs India

HANGZHOU: Arch-rivals India handed a 10-2 thrashing to Pakistan on Saturday in the hockey event of the ongoing Asian Games 2023.

India had a flying start to the match as they took a dominant 2-0 lead over Pakistan in the first quarter, courtesy of Harmanpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh, who scored one each.

The men in blue then doubled their lead in the second quarter and attained the complete command of the highly-anticipated match.

Pakistan finally showed some resistance in the third quarter as they managed to pull two back but it was insufficient as India still managed to further extend their lead by scoring three.

India then enjoyed another dominant quarter as they scored three more in the fourth to finish the match with a scoreline of 10-2, one of their largest victories against Pakistan.

Harmanpreet Singh was the star for India, scoring four, followed by Varun Kumar, who scored two while Mandeep Singh, Sumit, Shamsher Singh and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay scored one each.

For Pakistan, Mohammad Sufyan Khan and Waheed Rana Ashraf could score one apiece.

Pakistan will now take on Japan on October 2 in a bid to make it to the semi-finals of the Asian Games 2023.

A draw against Japan would propel Pakistan into the final four whereas, for Japan, it would be a must-win game.

Pakistan Squad for Asian Games 2023:

Goalkeepers: Akmal Hussain, Abdullah Ishtiyaq Khan, Waqar, Ali Raza, and Abdullah Sheikh.

Defenders: Mohammad Abdullah, Arbaz Ahmad, Mohammad Sufyan Khan, Aqeel Ahmed, and Mohammad Bilal Aslam.

Midfielders: Usama Bashir, Mohammad Murtaza Yaqoob, Arbaz Ayaz, Ahtisham Aslam, Mohammad Baqar, Mohammad Nadeem Khan, Mohammad Imran and Syed Shehbaz Haider.

Forwards: Mohammad Imad, Afraz, Roman, Arshad Liaquat, Abdul Qayyum, Abdul Rehman (Wapda), Waqar Ali, Mohammad Arsalan, Mohammad Umar Bhat, Mohammad Shahzaib Khan, Abdul Wahab, Zikriya Hayat, Bisharat Ali, Rana Waleed, Hamza Fayaz and Abdul Rehman.

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COLOMBO: Pakistan have won the toss and elected to bowl first against India in the ninth match of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023.

PLAYING XIs

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD:

Overall ODIs: Matches 133, India 55, Pakistan 73, NR 5

Asia Cup ODI: Matches 14, India 7, Pakistan 5, NR 2

READ: Pakistan, India set for rematch but rain threat persists despite reserve day

Fierce cricketing rivals Pakistan and India are all set for their Asia Cup 2023 rematch on Sunday with a reserve day on Monday but the Sri Lankan rain refused to relent and still threatens the much-anticipated PAK vs IND clash.

The cricketing fever has reached its zenith as the two Asian giants are going face to face once again in the span of one week at the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup 2023; to ensure a complete match amid rain predictions in Colombo on September 10, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) yesterday announced a reserve day for the high-octane clash.

This decision came after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) echoed reservations about the scheduling of the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4s stage in Colombo where heavy rainfall is forecast until the end of the tournament.

Consequently, if PAK vs IND clash gets washed out on September 10 then the action will resume on September 11 from the stage it was halted.

The arch-rivals came face to face in the group stage of the Asia Cup 2023 on September 2, however, the rain played spoilsport and deprived fans of the conclusion of PAK vs IND.

Pakistani pace trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah made India regret their decision to bat first under heavy clouds as they booked India on 266, despite Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya’s half-centuries.

However, the persistent downpour washed out the game without a single ball being bowled in the second innings of the blockbuster clash and the two sides settled for a point each.

Pakistan’s pace trio have stood out with 23 wickets between them and played a key role in the team’s performance so far in the Asia Cup 2023.

Indian batters struggled against Pakistan’s pace battery in the previous encounter and will be eyeing to bounce back, with KL Rahul also expecting to make a comeback in tomorrow’s game, which will help bolster their batting power.

The 31-year-old Rahul has not played any competitive cricket since getting injured during the Indian Premier League in April-May. He has developed an injury niggle unrelated to the original thigh problem.

However, adjusting Rahul in the batting order will be a challenge for Indian management as his replacement Ishan Kishan has scored four half-centuries in his last four innings, including the last PAK vs IND clash.

Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah is also back after missing out on the match against Nepal due to personal reasons.

He made his comeback from injury in the T20I series against Ireland last month and made an immediate impact with a man-of-the-match performance in the first game.

However, he couldn’t bowl against Pakistan in the last match due to persistent rain in the second innings, so his match fitness for the ODI match will be tested in Sri Lankan conditions.

Pakistan on the other hand has already announced the Playing XI for the anticipated Asia Cup 2023 Super 4s clash, with Faheem Ashraf replacing Mohammad Nawaz from the lineup that faced India last week.

Faheem Ashraf made his return to the ODI side in Pakistan’s first Super 4 stage match against Bangladesh, after a long hiatus of two years. His last outing in the ODI format before then was during Pakistan’s three-match away series against England in July 2021.

Faheem Ashraf picked the prized scalp of Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan and will be Pakistan’s trump card in the middle overs, as Indian batters played fluently in that phase.
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Meanwhile, the spearhead of Pakistan pace attack Shaheen Afridi, ahead of PAK vs IND tomorrow, has warned that his devastating spell against arch-rivals India was just the start and the best is yet to come.

“Every match against India is special and people watch this a lot,” Shaheen Afridi said on Friday. “I used to wait for this match as a fan before I played under-16 cricket.”

“I can’t say this has been my best spell so far. This is just the start and there will be many more, so the best is yet to come.”

The left-arm fast bowler rattled the Indian top-order in their Group A clash last week, returning magnificent figures of 4/35 which included the wickets of star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

With all the noise around Pakistan’s bowling against India’s batting, it is yet to be seen, how Pakistani batters tackle the Indian bowling lineup. It would be interesting to see, only if the weather allows this time around.

FORM GUIDE:

PAKISTAN W, W, W, W, W (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)

INDIA W, W, L, W, L

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD:

Overall ODIs: Matches 133, India 55, Pakistan 73, NR 5

Asia Cup ODI: Matches 14, India 7, Pakistan 5, NR 2

READ More from Asia Cup 2023: Babar Azam believes Pakistan has an ‘edge’ over India

COLOMBO: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday, announced Pakistan’s Playing XI for the anticipated Asia Cup 2023 Super 4s clash against arch-rivals India.

Pakistan will field an unchanged lineup which handed a seven-wicket defeat to Bangladesh in the first Super 4s match of the Asia Cup 2023.

Our playing XI for the #PAKvIND match 🇵🇰#AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/K25PXbLnYe

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 9, 2023

The lineup features Pakistan captain Babar Azam, his deputy Shadab Khan, Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf.

Faheem, who replaced Mohammad Nawaz in Pakistan’s Playing XI for the Bangladesh fixture, justified his inclusion with brilliant bowling, giving away only 27 runs in his seven overs and taking the prized wicket of Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan.

The Asia Cup 2023 group-stage PAK vs IND clash marked the two teams’ first faceoff in the ODI format since the 2019 World Cup.

The two fierce rivals came face to face on September 2 but the rain played spoilsport after Pakistan’s pace trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah booked India on 266.

The second innings of the blockbuster clash could not be possible and the two sides settled for a point each.

Meanwhile, with Faheem in the Playing XI, Pakistan’s bowling attack looked more lethal which decimated India’s strong batting order.

The two fierce rivals are now set for their rematch in the Super 4s on Sunday, which will have a reserve day.

But the rain has refused to ease out and is forecast till the end of the tournament.

It is pertinent to mention that a victory in the blockbuster PAK vs IND clash, would propel Pakistan into the final of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023 but in case of a washout, Pakistan would need at least a draw against Sri Lanka to advance into the tournament.

READ: Asia Cup 2023: Samarawickrama’s blitz powers Sri Lanka to 257 against Bangladesh

Pakistan pace ace Shaheen Shah Afridi has warned his devastating spell against arch-rivals India that set the Asia Cup alight is just the start, with the World Cup 2023 only weeks away.  

The left-arm fast bowler rattled the Indian top-order in their Group A clash last week, taking 4-35 — including the wickets of star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

That match was washed out but they meet again in Colombo on Sunday in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup, a precursor to the 50-over World Cup that kicks off next month.

And Shaheen Afridi told AFP there is more to come.

“Every match against India is special and people watch this a lot,” the 23-year-old said Friday. “I used to wait for this match as a fan before I played under-16 cricket.”

“I can’t say this has been my best spell so far. This is just the start and there will be many more, so the best is yet to come.”

With his ability to move the ball both ways, Shaheen leads one of the most potent pace attacks in the world.

“If you play all the three formats at such a young age for Pakistan and handle the new ball, people expect you to perform like that,” he said.

Shaheen and his fellow fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf have picked up 23 wickets between them in the Asia Cup so far.

“We know our roles with the new and old ball,” Shaheen said.

“Haris is quicker than us and impacts with his pace. Naseem and I try to get early breakthroughs.”

The “communication is good between us,” he added. “And that’s our success.”

Shaheen, who stands at 6 feet and 6 inches (1.98 metres), suffered a serious knee injury last year but returned strongly in Sri Lanka in July.

“It’s your match time that helps you improve. These Test matches against Sri Lanka recently made me improve as I bowled long spells and fielded all day,” said Shaheen, who has 105 wickets in 27 Tests.

“So that cleared all doubts about the knee injury.”

Shaheen Afridi has never played cricket in India — bilateral cricket ties are frozen because of political tensions between the neighbours.

He is keen to do well when Pakistan take on hosts India in the hotly anticipated World Cup match in Ahmedabad on October 14.

“All the foreign players who have played in the IPL (Indian Premier League), we had discussions with them. I think our Pakistan wickets or Dubai pitches will be similar,” he said.

“Spinners will get more help, maybe. We will hit good lengths. Our team performance is going well as the number one (ODI) team. We have prepared well.”

Shaheen Afridi is married to one of the daughters of former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, and said he speaks to the former all-rounder before every big match.

“I try to pick his brains before a big game and include it in my plans as he was a big-match player,” said Shaheen.

“He talks simply and says: ‘Just play your cricket’.”

A fan of legendary Pakistani left-arm fast bowler Wasim Akram, Shaheen Afridi said he keeps his focus on the field by avoiding cricket off it.

“I don’t go out much and stay in my room. Just stay indoors, make green tea… and talk about anything other than cricket,” he said.

“That keeps me relaxed.”

READ: Asia Cup 2023: Babar Azam believes Pakistan has an ‘edge’ over India

COLOMBO: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said on Saturday that his side will have an edge over India in their Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 clash, with a bowling line-up ready to win matches and tournaments.

The arch-rivals meet again in Colombo on Sunday after their Asia Cup 2023 group match was abandoned due to rain, which has played havoc with the 50-over tournament that is a precursor to the upcoming ODI World Cup in India.

Pakistan won their opening match of the Asia Cup’s Super 4 stage and a second win will further enhance their chances of making the final on September 17.

But rain in the Sri Lankan capital is expected to play spoilsport again in the match, for which a reserve day has been kept aside.

“You can say we have the edge as we have played back-to-back cricket here (in Sri Lanka) and in Pakistan,” Azam told reporters.

“It has been two-and-a-half months in Sri Lanka including the Test series, Lanka Premier League, Afghanistan series and now the Asia Cup.

“So you can say it will be advantage (for us).”

Pakistan’s pace trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf have stood out with 23 wickets between them and played a key role in the team’s performance so far.

Shaheen, a left-arm quick who leads the bowling, rattled India with his opening burst in the Asia Cup 2023 group match, taking the key wickets of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Azam said the team believes their bowlers can win them titles.

“Proud to have the fast bowlers that we have. One of the best (in the world),” said Azam.

“Fast bowlers win you tournaments and matches and I have total belief (in) them. The line-up that we have including Naseem and Faheem (Ashraf) is the best lot that we have. They have the belief and how they bowl in partnerships.”

READ: Pakistan’s Ahsan Raza named among ICC World Cup 2023 umpires

COLOMBO: The Pakistan cricket team touched down at Colombo airport on Thursday via a chartered flight from Lahore to participate in the remaining Super 4 stage matches of the ongoing ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023.

Pakistan team will take a rest today, as well as tomorrow before hitting the practice nets on Saturday, September 9 to prepare for their next Super 4 stage match.

Pakistan will play their second match of the Super 4 stage against arch-rivals India on Sunday, September 10 in Colombo.

The teams of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also reached Colombo along with the Pakistan team.

Asia Cup 2023’s remaining Super 4 stage matches, as well as the final, are scheduled in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.

Pakistan hosted a total of four matches in the ongoing tournament including the ongoing Super 4 fixture between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The Asia Cup 2023 featured six teams, divided into two groups, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the Super 4 stage.

Hosts Pakistan and their arch-rivals India qualified from Group A with three points after both teams defeated Nepal and shared a point each due to the match between them being washed out. Meanwhile defending champions and co-hosts Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh qualified from Group B, after Afghanistan missed out on a Super 4 berth by the barest of margins in their final group-stage match against Sri Lanka.

This year’s Asia Cup kicked off with host Pakistan defeating Asia Cup first-timers Nepal in the curtain raiser on August 30 in Multan. Meanwhile, the final of the tournament will be played on September 17 in Colombo

The Asia Cup 2023 is being played in the ODI format and is serving as an opportunity for the Asian teams to bolster their preparations for the upcoming ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 in India.

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LAHORE: The teams of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will depart for Colombo in a chartered plane tomorrow to participate in the Super 4 stage of the ongoing ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023.

The broadcasters and other officials will also accompany the teams on the chartered plane.

Asia Cup 2023’s remaining Super 4 stage matches, as well as the final, are scheduled in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.

Pakistan hosted a total of four matches in the ongoing tournament including the ongoing Super 4 fixture between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The Asia Cup 2023 featured six teams, divided into two groups, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the Super 4 stage.

Hosts Pakistan and their arch-rivals India qualified from Group A with three points after both teams defeated Nepal and shared a point each due to the match between them being washed out. Meanwhile defending champions and co-hosts Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh qualified from Group B, after Afghanistan missed out on a Super 4 berth by the barest of margins in their final group-stage match against Sri Lanka.

This year’s Asia Cup kicked off with host Pakistan defeating Asia Cup first-timers Nepal in the curtain raiser on August 30 in Multan. Meanwhile, the final of the tournament will be played on September 17 in Colombo

The Asia Cup 2023 is being played in the ODI format and is serving as an opportunity for the Asian teams to bolster their preparations for the upcoming ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 in India.

READ: Afghanistan squad reaches Lahore for Asia Cup 2023

Pakistan’s young fast bowler Naseem Shah made Indian batters dance to his tunes as he exhibited a brilliant display of swing bowling in the high-octane Asia Cup 2023 clash between the arch-rivals on Saturday at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

Pakistani pace bowlers booked India on 266 in the first innings after Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya’s half-centuries before persistent rain denied the second innings’ play, hence, washing out the match between India and Pakistan.

Shaheen Afridi led the bowling charts in the first innings of PAK vs IND with figures of 4-35, while Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf shared three wickets each.

Naseem Shah talked to the media after the match and shared his experience of playing his first ODI game against India. Naseem Shah has previously faced India in three T20i games during last year’s Asia Cup which was played in T20i format and T20I World Cup.

“It was a new experience playing an ODI against India, thank God I bowled well,” Naseem Shah said. “ODI is a different format and it requires patience,”

He also shed light on his bowling plan against the Indian batting line-up.

“The bowling was swinging at the start, so I was trying to bowl at the right areas,” he added. “The plan was to not let the Indian batters score runs freely, so they would give wickets,”

Naseem also appreciated his fellow pacers Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, who bowled brilliantly to bowl India out yesterday.

“Shaheen Afridi bowled well in the beginning, while Haris Roof came in the middle and bowled very well,” said Naseem Shah.

While talking about the upcoming Asia Cup Super-Four stage match against either Bangladesh or Afghanistan on September 6 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Naseem Shah expressed his wish to enjoy and perform well at Lahore.

“As a child, I have played a lot of cricket in Lahore as a kid and I will try to enjoy, and perform well to win the match there,” he concluded.

Pakistan secured their spot in the Asia Cup 2023 Super Four stage as they finished their group-stage campaign with three points in two matches after a dominant victory over Nepal and a washed-out game against arch-rivals India yesterday.

Meanwhile, India next face Nepal on September 4 in a bid to join Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4s.

READ: Pakistan team to reach Lahore today for Asia Cup Super Four match

COLOMBO: The Pakistan cricket team left for Colombo from Kandy by road this morning after playing against India in the ongoing Asia Cup match yesterday, and will reach Lahore from Colombo by a chartered flight today to play the Super Four stage match on Wednesday.

Pakistan team will take off from Colombo at 4:00 PM today, and they will relax on Monday before hitting the nets at Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground on Tuesday, September 5 to prepare for the Super Four stage match of the Asia Cup on September 6 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

Before the start of the training session, a squad member will hold the pre-match press conference.

Pakistan will play either Bangladesh or Afghanistan in the first Super 4 match on Wednesday, September 6, provided they qualify for the next round.

Bangladesh and Afghanistan are squaring off at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore today. If Bangladesh loses today, they will be knocked out of the Asia Cup, having lost the previous game against defending champions Sri Lanka.

Pakistan on the other side secured their spot in the Asia Cup 2023 Super Four stage as they finished their group-stage campaign with three points in two matches after a dominant victory over Nepal and a washed-out game against arch-rivals India yesterday.

Meanwhile, India next face Nepal on September 4 in a bid to join Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4s.

Pakistan’s pace-packed bowling attack booked India on 266 in the first innings after Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya’s half-centuries before persistent rain washed out the high-octane Asia Cup clash yesterday.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi and Usama Mir

Traveling reserve: Tayyab Tahir

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