In the Super Four match of the Asia Cup 2023, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first against India. They opted to stick with their original playing XI, which included Faheem Ashraf as an extra seam bowling option instead of spinner Mohammad Nawaz.
In contrast, India made two significant changes to their playing XI. Jasprit Bumrah replaced Mohammed Shami, while KL Rahul came in for Shreyas Iyer, who had experienced a back spasm.
Unlike their previous encounter in the Asia Cup 2023, India’s opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill provided the team with a rapid start. The Indian captain began cautiously but accelerated after settling in, launching a flurry of boundaries. Gill, on the other hand, was aggressive right from the outset and proved to be a formidable challenge for Pakistan’s premier pacer, Shaheen Afridi.
Given India’s dominant start with the bat, Kamran Akmal took to X to criticize Pakistan’s decision to bowl first in the match.
Not Batting first after winning toss in Colombo ….Is a BLUNDER 🤷♂️ #IndiavsPak #AsiaCup2023
— Kamran Akmal (@KamiAkmal23) September 10, 2023
“Not batting first after winning the toss in Colombo… Is a BLUNDER,” Kamran Akmal remarked.
During the toss, Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, justified their decision to bowl first by mentioning that they wanted to exploit the moisture on the surface. “We will bowl first. I think there is a bit of moisture, we need to use that. Always, India vs. Pakistan is high intensity, but we will take it match by match. As a team, we are playing well, and we are focused on this one. No changes.”
Also Read: IND vs PAK, Asia Cup 2023: Here’s What Will Happen Next if Rain Washes Out the Match Today
Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, stated that India got what they wanted as they had planned to bat first in the match. “Looking to bat first. There will be a challenge upfront, but the way our guys batted last time around gives us confidence. Every game is important for us, but we are focusing on one thing at a time,” Rohit Sharma commented.