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Tackling Afridi: How Rohit, Kohli, Gill can counter Shaheen's left-arm threat in India vs Pakistan Asia Cup Super 4 game
A look at how Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill can counter the Shaheen Afridi threat in the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup Super 4 match
The saga between Indian’s top order and left-arm pace doesn’t paint a pleasant picture. First, it was Mohammad Amir in 2017, then Trent Boult in 2019, and now Shaheen Afridi. Ever since he delivered the two opening blows against India at the 2021 T20 World Cup - trapping Rohit Sharma for a first-ball duck and leaving KL Rahul shellshocked with his pace - the Indian batting has looked susceptible while facing Shaheen. Here is a 23-year-old menacing pacer, at the prime of his prowess, already making a career out of getting first-over wickets; and what better occasion that to do it against a hard-hitting, batting heavy Indian line-up?
As an 18-year-old playing his first ODI against India, Shaheen went wicketless in the 2018 Asia Cup encounter between the two teams. But with a spring in his steps as the years progressed, Shaheen has become a thorn in India's eyes. That India lost to Pakistan for the first time ever in a World Cup could be attributed to Shaheen's opening spell, where he snuffed out the openers and then accounted for the wicket of Virat Kohli to finish with 3/21. Shaheen was absent from the previous year's Asia Cup due to a knee injury, and even upon his return to face India at the T20 World Cup, the signs of wear and tear were evident. He conceded 35 runs in four overs and was unable to pick up a wicket.
History shows that never has Shaheen rattled India twice in two matches and if you're an Indian cricket fan, you'd be hoping for this pattern to continue. In the Group A match last Saturday, Shaheen picked 4/35, once again cashing in on the left-arm frailties of India's top order, which hopefully allowed Rohit, Kohli and Shubman Gill to reflect on how to deal with him better.
What Rohit Sharma can do
As pointed out by experts, the best way to tackle Shaheen is by being positive against him, which is what captain Rohit demonstrated in Kandy. Batting with a wider stance, Rohit latched on to Shaheen early, hitting him for two authoritative boundaries before the rain break triggered a change of winds. Rohit's concentration broke and Afridi found a second wind. From there, he never looked back. Rohit needs to do exactly the same in Colombo as well. If India bat first, it will be all the more challenging to face Shaheen under overcast skies and swinging conditions, but with the same approach, Rohit might just give India that caution at the top. While Shoaib Akhtar may claim that Shaheen has gotten into Rohit's head, it's crucial to remember that he is talking about the same batter who has consistently dominated bowling attacks and smashed three double centuries in ODIs.
How can Virat Kohli excel against Shaheen
As for Kohli, opponents have learned that the most effective way to dismiss him is by striking early. Despite his return to form, Kohli tends to take some time to settle in at the crease, making this period the most opportune to target him. This tendency was evident in Pallekele, where Kohli began with an exquisite cover drive to open his account but, left his bat face too open, resulting in an inside edge that disturbed the stumps.
It's highly unlikely that Kohli will repeat such an error; he is, after all, an exceptional player. However, to excel against Shaheen, Kohli should adopt the aggressive approach he employed in Melbourne. In that memorable contest, Kohli seized the initiative, accumulating 21 runs off Shaheen's over, with boundaries flowing all around the wicket. Every time Shaheen deviated slightly from his line or length, Kohli was quick to pounce on. Regardless of Shaheen's formidable skills, if Virat Kohli can take him on in free-slowing form, it could decisively tip the advantage in India's scale.
Shubman Gill needs to look back and…
Similarly, Gill too needs to play the attacking game against Shaheen. The version of Gill that appeared in Pallekele last Saturday was a far cry from the batsman who dominated the IPL with nearly 900 runs or the one who effortlessly notched up centuries in the first half of the year. Surprisingly, it was the first instance when Gill seemed to be in a defensive shell, and by the time he broke free, it was too late. His struggles culminated in him playing on to the stumps.
While the wicket may have officially been credited to Haris Rauf, the groundwork for Gill's dismissal was laid by Afridi. He persistently targeted an elusive fifth-stump line, forcing Gill to reach outside off. Although the India youngster managed to time the ball on a few occasions, he mostly found himself overwhelmed by Afridi's pace, and quite possibly the pressure-cooker situation surrounding an India-Pakistan game.
A trip down memory lane takes us to 2018 when Gill and Afridi clashed in the Under-19 World Cup semifinal. On that occasion, there was only one winner: Gill, who hammered an unbeaten century, while Shaheen Afridi ended with figures of 1/62. Gill must dig deep and strive to recapture that form when facing Shaheen once again.
