In his 18 years of playing Cricket for the Indian team in all three formats, within 170 total matches and counting, while using various techniques, has Dinesh Karthik never bowled, until the Asia Cup. In the Thursday match with Afghanistan, when everyone was expecting Arshdeep Singh to bowl for Afghanistan’s 120-run-in-6-balls target, the stand in Captain KL Rahul called in Karthik, to everyone’s surprise. The unexpected bowler now holds numbers in the left out bowling arena as well.
After losing two consecutive matches, from Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in the Asia Cup, the Indian cricket team is receiving immense heat from the public as well as media. To this, Captain Rohit Sharma clarified that the boys still maintain themselves by remaining “chilled and relaxed”, regardless of one or two losses. The team is expected to perform at the T20 World Cup in Australia, considering its only victory in 2007.Sharma assures that the team is adapting different techniques to channelize the pressure.
The upcoming Pak v/s Afghan match will seal the fate of the latter in the Asia Cup 2022 status; with Pakistan currently going strong, the Mohammad Nabi led team needs to put its best foot forward, in order to ignore dependence on sheer luck. Pakistan holds top-order of Mohammad Rizwan, having a mold of fifties, middle-order of left-handed Nawaz and hard-hitter Khushdil Shah, alongside 5.43 rated bowler Shadab Khan. Afghanistan on the other hand can expect reliance on its batting from previous 84-scorer Rahmanullah Gurbaz, with the middle and lower order to pull it together.
As former Indian Cricket team captain Virat Kohli didn’t move ahead at the end of the innings, ‘Man of the Match’ Suryakumar Yadav asked him to walk together, only to be greeted with a bow and duff from the much experienced player. Yadav’s excelling performance of 68 runs in just 22 balls, including six sixes and as many fours, left Kohli in astonishment of his fellow batsman. Yadav’s play pushed India to a win against Hong Kong with 192 for 2 at the Asia Cup 2022.
India v/s Pakistan gave a close call match in the Asia Cup on Sunday, August 28th; ending in India winning by 148 runs and 5 wickets standing. With the fast bowlers of the nation, all wickets of Pakistan were taken out, including Pandya giving a stellar bowling of taking three wickets, Kumar taking four and Khan picking the last one. Pakistan lost at 147 when Pandya’s saving bat scored a six at two remaining balls, sealing India’s victory.
In an interview video with Star Sports, former Indian cricket player Virendar Sehwag revealed the real atmosphere between Indian and Pakistani players off the field. The beloved batsman said that the competition and the fight only exist on the field, as each player pushes to exceed the pressure from their respective country viewers. He continued with admiration of the brotherhood and companionship between the two teams, confirming no tension. The two teams will face each other on August 28th in the Asia Cup.
