PALLEKELE: The much-anticipated Asia Cup clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan was abandoned after just one innings of play on Saturday as rain played spoilsport in the Group ‘A’ contest between the heavyweights in Pallekele.

Pakistan bowled out India for 266 in 48.5 overs, with pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi returning figures of 4-35, to nose ahead in the contest but their chase never began as rain kept the players off the ground before the game was eventually abandoned.

Babar Azam’s Pakistan have made the Super Four stage of the tournament as they won their opening match of the 50-over tournament, a key event in the build-up to the World Cup in India later this year. The points on Saturday were shared.

Rain stopped for a short time and groundstaff took off the covers as umpires discussed a reduced target for Pakistan but another spell of showers brought the curtain down on the match.

India next play Asia Cup debutants Nepal in the final Group ‘A’ fixture on Tuesday at the same venue.

World number one Pakistan dominated whatever limited play was possible with Shaheen leading their fiery pace attack, which claimed all 10 Indian wickets.

Shaheen has tormented India in recent encounters between the sides and it was no different at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

India captain Rohit Sharma was left to rue his decision to bat first as his side slumped to 66-4 in the 15th over after a devastating opening spell by left-arm quick Shaheen.

Ishan Kishan (82) and Hardik Pandya (87) hit back in a stand of 138 to hand their team a fighting total but rain had the final say after interrupting play for the third time.

Shaheen rattled the opposition top order, taking the key wickets of Sharma and Virat Kohli — both the batsmen bowled.

“I think both [Virat and Rohit] were crucial wickets,” Shaheen told broadcasters Star Sports before the match was called off. “Every batter is the same for me. But I think I liked Rohit’s wicket better.”

Shaheen bowled to Sharma on a length around the off and the ball nipped back in to beat the opener’s defence and rattled the off stump.

Shaheen got able support from fellow quicks Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah, both of whom picked up three wickets each.

The left-handed Kishan counter-attacked with boundaries to take the fight back to the opposition bowlers with Pandya.

Shaheen was given a two-over burst to break the stand but the batsmen stood firm and Kishan reached his fifty to loud cheers from the crowd and frustration from Pakistan, whose on-ground fielding remained sloppy.

Earlier Shaheen swung Shaheen for a couple of fours, but the pace spearhead had his revenge on the first ball following a 33-minute stoppage to bowl the Indian captain for 11.

He then silenced the largely Indian crowd with the wicket of Kohli (4), who inside-edged an incoming delivery onto his stumps.

Haris bowled the returning Shreyas Iyer as India slipped to 48-3 and soon lost opener Shubman Gill for 10 after a second rain interval.

He also finally sent Kishan back with the batsman caught out after his 81-ball knock, including nine fours and two sixes.

Pandya kept up the charge and hit Haris for three boundaries in an over. But Shaheen returned to dismiss Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in the same over, while his new ball partner Naseem Shah (3-36) polished off India’s tail.

The neighbours, who play each other only in multi-team events because of their soured political relations, would clash again in the Super Four stage provided India can avoid an upset against Nepal on Monday.

Scoreboard

INDIA:

R. Sharma b Shaheen 11

S. Gill b Haris 10

V. Kohli b Shaheen 4

S. Iyer c Fakhar b Haris 14

I. Kishan c Babar b Haris 82

H. Pandya c Salman b Shaheen 87

R. Jadeja c Rizwan b Shaheen 14

S. Thakur c Shadab b Naseem 3

K. Yadav c Rizwan b Naseem 4

J. Bumrah c Salman b Naseem 16

M. Siraj not out 1

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-2, NB-1, W-15) 20

TOTAL (all out, 48.5 overs) 266

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-15 (Sharma), 2-27 (Kohli), 3-48 (Iyer), 4-66 (Gill), 5-204 (Kishan), 6-239 (Pandya), 7-242 (Jadeja), 8-242 (Thakur), 9-261 (Yadav)

BOWLING: Shaheen 10-2-35-4 (5w), Naseem 8.5-0-36-3 (4w), Haris 9-0-58-3, Shadab 9-0-57-0, Nawaz 8-0-55-0, Salman 4-0-21-0 (1w, 1nb)

PAKISTAN: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf

RESULT: No result

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2023