Remember Indian top-order’s struggles against left-arm pace? You would because it’s not ancient history. In fact, if it was turning into one then today’s top-order collapse that India suffered in their Asia Cup 2023 opener against Pakistan would have served as a timely reminder how it continues to be Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s kryptonite.
Kohli and Rohit have time and again struggled against the left-arm pacers and in Pallekle, the duo was gotten rid of early by Pakistan’s young pace sensation Shaheen Afridi.
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One doesn’t need to go too far to dig out numbers that tell the sorry and scary story of how two of the finest white-ball cricketers India have produced in their history have found facing left-arm pacers an overwhelming challenge.
According to a report, Kohli has been dismissed as many as four times by left-arm pacers since 2021. In that phase, he has managed 87 runs in 98 deliveries at an average of 21.75.
Rohit, the India ODI captain, isn’t far behind. In the same period, the seasoned opener has given away his wicket to left-arm pacers six times (four times inside fist five overs) while scoring 138 runs at an average of 23.
On Saturday, after a brief rain delay, Shaheen found his rhythm as he set up Rohit perfectly with two deliveries that went away from him and followed them with the one that came in after being pitched on a similar length.
That delivery sneaked through Rohit’s defenses to crashland on the stumps, ending his innings on 11.
Kohli was a bit unlucky though. He went after one that was outside off which he quite often steers away to third man region for a single.
Today wasn’t his day as the ball took an inside edge before to be deflected onto the stumps. This was after Kohli opened his account with a cracking cover drive for four but that turned out to be his only scoring shot with India losing their top four batters inside 15 overs.
It was the pair of Hardik Pandya (87) and Ishan Kishan (82) who stitched a century stand to help India recover from the blows. However, once they exited, Pakistan roared back with India being skittled for 266.
India will next face Nepal in their second group A match on September 4 at the same venue before the start of the Super Fours stage.
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