India top order once again collapsed while facing Pakistan, this time in the Asia Cup 2023 match on Saturday, September 2. India, who opted to bat first in overcast conditions at Pallekele, were reduced to 66/4 in 15 overs. The collapse began with the wicket of India captain Rohit Sharma, who was dismissed by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 5th over of the match.
Rohit, who was starting to patiently score runs got out right after the forced rain break, courtesy of a ripping inswinger from Shaheen Afridi that crashed into Rohit’s stumps. Speaking about the dismissal, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar said that Sharma has not been able to understand or read Shaheen Afridi’s bowling at all.
Reacting to the dismissal on his YouTube channel, Shoaib said that Rohit was a much better player than how he made himself look on Saturday.
“I don’t think Rohit is able to read or understand Shaheen at all. The visual of Rohit Sharma being beaten like this was not good, he is a far better player than this. Rohit can bat much better than this, I think he is worrying too much,” Akhtar said on his YouTube channel.
The pacer, however, pointed out that interruptions by rain must have broken the batter’s flow, which might have led to three quick wickets from the Indian side.
“The constant interruptions by rain, leading to the players going off the ground and coming back in, it affects the focus of the batters. Gill lost his wicket exactly because of this reason, he lost his concentration, and that is why he played such a loose shot,” Akhtar said on India’s batting line-up and the effects of rain.
The former fast bowler lauded Shaheen Afridi for his bowling. Shaheen bowled well, both with the old and new ball and was able to pick up 4 crucial wickets. Shaheen removed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja from the Indian batting line-up.
“What a spell it was by Shaheen Afridi, what a bowler he is. Everyone knows what he will do, pitch it full and bring it back in, and in spite that Rohit Sharma had no answer. But, what is Rohit Sharma supposed to do, in his defence he had last played him in 2022, he does not get the opportunity to face him too often,” Akhtar explained.
