IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2023 Highlights: Match washed out; India, Pakistan share points

India 42/2 in 8 overs. A touch too straight from Rauf, Iyer plays him past mid-on to the boundary. He is looking pretty good so far, India's No.4. Iyer goes to 13 off 7, Gill is stuck at 1 off 12.

The inside of the toe-end of Shreyas's bat is toast. That is what happens when those extremeties come in contact with a ball from Rauf. That was a wonderful shot from Shreyas off the fourth ball of the eighth, cover driven on the up to the left of the fielder in that position.

Haris Rauf is in and he replaces Naseem Shah. Shreyas Iyer has walked in at No.4 and so Ishan Kishan will be at No.5. India in all sorts of trouble early on. Losing two wickets in the first 10 overs is never good news, especially if those two wickets are Rohit and Kohli.

Chopped on and Kohli's gone! Afridi has taken two of the biggest Indian wickets in the first seven overs itself! The Pakistan fans in the crowd, and there are many of them, have risen up like green fists around the stands. 

Kohli b Shaheen Afridi 4 (7), India 27/2 in 6.3 overs

Not a half volley from Naseem but Kohli goes far away from his body and absolutely middles it. races past cover.

Naseem goes too far down the leg side, beats Rizwan's dive and the ball goes to the boundary. The batter he was bowling to was Virat Kohli, who has come in at No.3 and not No.4. 

Afridi has come back strong and how after that break. Well the fourth and fifth balls seamed away from Rohit and this one hits top of off. Full but not a half volley, it fizzes past Rohit's outside edge and hits the stumps.

Rohit Sharma b Shaheen Shah Afridi 11 (22), India 15/1 in 5 overs

Afridi to continue the fifth over, Rohit is on strike. He fends off that ball for no runs. We are back in action in Pallekele. 

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have held their own quite well against Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah. Afridi in some ways has been somewhat awry going by his standards but Naseem has given Rohit and Gill all kinds of trouble. Rohit has shown that India are in no defensive mindset with the two fours he hit. India are 15/0 in 4.2 overs. Rohit on 11 off 18, Gill on 0 off 8.

Rohit had taken his helmet off but now he puts it back on and starts practicing a few shots. The rain has cleared off, we can even see some blue between the clouds now and so we seem to be just moments away from a restart now.

“He bowled a couple of good deliveries but I think he bowled a little too full for my liking. Both openers were ready and it was simple. Ball coming in and they were defensive, they knew that once they survive against Shaheen they will be fine. I think he was trying too hard because of which his pace was down…. this break might do him good,” says Waqar on Star Sports. 

Yes, those are the kind of things we have to keep an eye on at the moment but Rohit isn't known to do things like keeping his helmet on to stay focussed. He has been sitting in the dugout and chatting away with others from the Indian camp. As relaxed as they come. With the rain easing up  as well, that helmet is a positive sign. 

Well it has stopped coming down in sheets but more covers are coming on. It is now becoming akin to those famous pictures you tend to see during rain breaks in Sri Lanka of ever blade of grass on the ground being covered up. 

The shower is just too heavy now and out come the covers. The players rush off the field. It is coming down in sheets. Well there was rain in the forecast for the day. It looks like the covers might be on for a while now folks. India are 15/0 in 4.2 overs.

Well Shubman Gill pulled just as Naseem was getting into action for the last ball of the fourth as it starts to pour at Pallekele. It seems like the players are staying on for now. India 15/0 in 4 overs.

Second ball of the third from Afridi, Rohit just clips it away and it looks early doors like it had gone all the way for a six. However it seems that Rohit had yorked the boundary pads. Afridi strays on Rohit's leg and the Indian captain punishes him for it.

What a scorcher of a start this is. Naseem Shah with a delivery that thudded into Rziwan's glove and then another that barely rose above Rohit's knees for the first two balls. Then a little doubt over whether a catch was dropped or not off the fourth off Gill.

India are 6/0 after the first over. Rohit took a single off the fifth ball and thus Shubman Gill got the first taste of an India-Pakistan match. The first ball he faced was wide down the leg side from Afridi. He clips away the next one. Rohit on 5 off 7, Gill 0 off 1. Naseem Shah comes in to bowl from the other end.

Afridi sends the second ball on Rohit's leg, the Indian captain clips it uppishly but wide of square leg. That goes to the boundary.

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill open for India with the captain facing up. Shaheen Shah Afridi has the ball in his hands. Here we go folks! The humdinger begins at last.

The two teams walk out in the middle for the pre-match rituals. We can also see the crowd building up for the epic clash.

“Mohammad Shami would've been more threatening to Pakistan than Shardul Thakur. You talk about batting depth, but bowling depth matters too.” - Sanjay Manjrekar on Star Sports, the official broadcaster of Asia Cup 2023.

India: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan(w), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj 

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf

Babar Azam and Rohit Sharma arrive in the middle for the much awaited toss.

Rohit Sharma wins the toss and opts to bat.

“A high quality and unique pitch. Fast bowlers can get some seam, the spinners will get some turn, and a good batter can also score a century on this wicket. With DLS in picture, the captain winning the toss might prefer to bowl first.”