How India Thrashed Pakistan by 228 Runs in the Asia Cup 2023

India and Pakistan have one of the most intense rivalries in cricket, especially in the Asia Cup, where they have met 15 times, with India winning 10 and Pakistan winning 5. Yesterday, India added another win to their tally, as they crushed Pakistan by a record 228 runs in the Super Four match at Colombo. It was a dominant performance by the Indian team, who outclassed their arch-rivals in all aspects of the game. Let us take a look at how India thrashed Pakistan by 228 runs in the Asia Cup 2023.

 

The Shaheen Shah Afridi Show  

The match started with Pakistan winning the toss and opting to field first, hoping to exploit the conditions and put pressure on the Indian batsmen. However, their plan backfired as they ran into a fiery spell from Shaheen Shah Afridi, who ripped through the Indian top order with his pace and swing. He dismissed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in his first over, both caught behind by Mohammad Rizwan. He then returned to remove Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya in his second spell, leaving India reeling at 31 for 4 in the sixth over. Shaheen finished with figures of 4 for 35 in his 10 overs, earning him the player of the match award. He was ably supported by Haris Rauf, who took three wickets, and Naseem Shah, who took two wickets.

 

The Ishan Kishan and Ravindra Jadeja Partnership  

India were in deep trouble after losing four early wickets, but they found some resistance from their wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The duo added 63 runs for the fifth wicket, steadying the innings and keeping the scoreboard ticking. Kishan played a counter-attacking knock of 82 off 81 balls, hitting nine fours and two sixes. He was especially harsh on Haris Rauf, whom he hit for two fours and a six in an over. Jadeja played a supporting role, scoring 18 off 22 balls1. However, both Kishan and Jadeja fell in quick succession, leaving India at 118 for 6 in the 17th over.

 

 The Shardul Thakur and Jasprit Bumrah Cameos   

India needed some late fireworks to post a competitive total, and they got them from Shardul Thakur and Jasprit Bumrah. The two tail-enders added 33 runs off 18 balls for the tenth wicket, giving some momentum to the innings. Thakur scored 15 off six balls, hitting two fours and a six. He was particularly brutal on Naseem Shah, whom he hit for a four and a six in the last over. Bumrah scored 16 off 14 balls, hitting three fours. He also hit Naseem Shah for two consecutive boundaries in the final over. India finished with 266 for 10 in their 48.5 overs, setting Pakistan a target of 267 to win.

 

 The Kuldeep Yadav Show   

Pakistan had a challenging task ahead of them, chasing 267 against a strong Indian bowling attack. However, they made it look impossible as they collapsed under the spin wizardry of Kuldeep Yadav, who took five wickets for just 25 runs in his eight overs. It was his second five-wicket haul in ODIs. He bamboozled the Pakistani batsmen with his variations of googlies and flippers, taking wickets at regular intervals. He dismissed Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi. He was well supported by Mohammed Siraj, who took two wickets, and Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur, who took one each.

 

 The Conclusion   

India vs Pakistan cricket matches are always high-voltage affairs, with millions of fans watching and cheering for their teams. Yesterday, India showed why they are one of the favourites to win the Asia Cup 2023, as they humiliated Pakistan by 228 runs, thanks to their brilliant batting and bowling performances.

 

Pakistan, on the other hand, suffered a crushing defeat, exposing their weaknesses in batting and bowling. It was a historic day for India cricket, and a forgettable one for Pakistan cricket. However, both teams still have a chance to qualify for the final, as they have one more match to play in the Super Four stage. They will have to regroup and bounce back from this result, and focus on their next opponents.

 

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