India and Pakistan gear up for round 2 of India vs Pakistan (IND vs PAK) in Asia Cup 2023. The Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 clash between arch rivals will take place on September 10 in Colombo. The Indian batters are putting extra yard to prepare against Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Notably, the Indian top-order faltered in their previous encounter against the Men in Green. Shaheen Afridi was the wrecker-in-chief as he got rid of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja.
To counter Afridi’s swing and pace, the Indian batters have been practicing with specific drills and strategies. In their first net session ahead of the crucial encounter, a Rohit & Virat-less Team India were seen facing throwdowns from a left-arm angle.
The batters, including KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer had a long session with team’s data analyst and looked into the videos to monitor their batting stance, footwork.
Gill, who struggled in his first outing against Pakistan, was focusing more on fluent footwork. The opener made sure to move his feet towards the ball rather than sideways at the crease.
Head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour monitored the proceedings. The duo were constantly involved with batters throughout the session.
Shaheen Afridi menace in IND vs PAK
While Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah also have their fair share of success against Team India, it’s left-arm pacer Afridi who has always proved to be a big challenge for the Men in Blue.
Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli have so far came second in the battle against the young pace sensation.
In 4 matches so far against India, Afridi has picked 7 wickets at an average of 19.25.
| Player | Innings | Runs | Balls Faced | Dismissal | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 3 | 34 | 24 | 2 | 17 |
| Rohit Sharma | 4 | 33 | 45 | 2 | 16.5 |
| KL Rahul | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
During the 2021 T20 World Cup, Afridi played a pivotal role in dismantling India’s batting lineup. He sent KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli back to the pavilion. The pacer’s stunning spell powered Pakistan to their maiden World Cup win against India.
