India vs Pakistan Highlights Asia Cup Super 4: Play called off; rain, wet outfield moves IND vs PAK game to reserve day

Afridi with another loose one and the Indians are not letting anything go away. Leg stump half volley and Gill flicks it over wide mid-on. 

Afridi strays on to Gill's pads and the opener flicks it away behind to the fine leg boundary. 

A bit of width from Naseem and Rohit lifts it beautifully over covers for a four. That is just perfect timing. Rohit not letting any chances go at the moment.

But only just about! Naseem Shah bowling the second over, Gill with a half-hearted cut and it falls just short of the point fielder. He takes a single. Afridi was the fielder and he is clutching his fingers after that but it might be just a temporary pain. 

India 6/0 in 1 over. What a shot that is from the Indian captain. Afridi strays on his pads and Rohit promptly flicks him over backward square leg.

India clearly being careful with KL Rahul, who is playing his first match on return from injury today. Afridi, meanwhile, looking much better than he did in the early parts of the first match between these two sides in this tournament. 

Over 140kph and swinging in for Rohit, he plays it square. The second ball is much fuller and Rohit digs it out.

Right enough with all the chat. Rohit Sharma is facing up with Shubman Gill at the other end. Shaheen Afridi, looking for yet another wicket in the first over, is at the start of his run up.

That really is the only question that remains. Whoever it may be, it serves up an interesting proposition, especially if the Indian top order can see off the early salvo from the pacers.

Up first is India and then Pakistan. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli padded up, which is confirmation that Rahul or Kishan are not making an unexpected entry into the top order.

How about that for unexpected news but it is a rather convenient issue as well for India at the moment. It means they can play KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan together in the XI and it looks like they might be slotting into the middle order.

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

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

“Looking to bat first. There will be a challenge upfront, but the way we guys batted last time around gives us confidence. Every game is important for us, but one thing at a time to focus on. (On rain delays) That's the nature of the sport, it gave us good time to prepare and now we'll look to play well. Two changes - Bumrah is back and one forced change, Shreyas Iyer just got a back spasm so KL Rahul comes in for him.”

“We will bowl first. I think there is a bit of moisture, we need to use that. Always, India Pakistan is high intensity, but we will take it match to match. As a team, we are playing well, we are focused on this one. No changes”

Pakistan have won the toss and chosen to bowl first

The choice will be entirely dependent on what the pitch is like. Former India batter and Ranji Trophy legend Wasim Jaffer feels it's more prudent to let Axar take the field. 

No Ravichandran Ashwin is not a surprise last-minute addition to the Indian squad, he is there as a spectator and his photo shows us that we will have some normal cricket being played for the better part of this day at least.

Shubman Gill seemed to have gone on overdrive in the first half of the year, scoring centuries in all formats and even a double century in an ODI. But, just when it had looked like he has cemented a spot in the team for the World Cup, his scores have gone all over the plce. In the ODI format, Gill has managed scores of 20, 0, 37, 7, 34, 85, 10, and 67 not out since he scored his last century - 112 against New Zealand in January this yeara. That was the last of three centuries he scored in four ODIs, which included a whirlwind 208 off 149 against New Zealand in Hyderabad.

A lot has been said about Pakistan's menacing fast bowling lineup but don't forget their batters. It is only Fakhar Zaman who seems out of sorts. Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammed Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed are all averaging above 50 in ODIs since 2022.

Historically, India have never fared well against left-arm pacers, let alone someone of the quality of Shaheen Afridi. India's stunning demolition in the 2021 T20 World Cup against Pakistan can be largely attributed to Afridi dismantling their top order early and in the first match of this tournament between the two sides, it was more of the same. It was his opening spell that led the way in India tottering at 66/4 in the 15th over. So what can the Indian top order do to survive Afridi? Well, there have been quite a few suggestions that former commentators have made.

One is an experienced campaigner with 54 matches under his belt, the other is youngster who seems to have got into that zone where a batter scores runs like a machine this year in ODIs. Rahul's ability to turn games around coming in at No.5 has been tried and tested multiple times - he has 742 runs in 18 matches at an average of 53.00 batting in the No.5 position with one century and seven half-centuries. Kishan has played just once in that spot but that was in the last match against Pakistan and he bailed India out by scoring 82 in 81 balls. Moreover, that was also his fourth consecutive ODI half-century. Will Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid have to choose between the two, or will they decide to play both with someone, maybe from the top of the order, whose first name may start with an S and last name ends with an L, making way.

This is what the Pakistan Cricket Board has tweeted from the venue. It is all looking quite good but still, keep your fingers in the crossed position. In fact, the latest update is that rain is not expected to make an appearance until 7pm. 

Virat Kohli has played some of his greatest T20 innings against Pakistan. Moreover, his 183 against them in the 2012 Asia Cup remains the highest score of Kohli's illustrious ODI career. And yet, considering his lofty standards, he only averages 45.00 against them 14 matches, scoring 540 runs with two centuries and half centuries each. Pakistan and England are, in fact, the only two Full Member nations against whom Kohli doesn't average above 50 in ODIs.

India are more than aware of what Pakistan's opening batter can do and Zaman has in fact shown the world his abilities for a better part of the year. However, he has been quiet for the last month or so. In fact, since he scored an unbeaten 180 against New Zealand on April 29 this year, which was the last of three consecutive centuries that he had managed in ODIs, Zaman's scores have read 19, 14, 33, 2, 30, 27, 14, DNB and 20. He averages 51.75 in the four innings he has played against India and so Pakistan would be hoping that he finds that touch again today.