The much-anticipated Super Four match of Asia Cup 2023 between arch-rivals Pakistan and India unfolded at Colombo’s R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium. Babar Azam won the toss and chose to field, but they faced a Brobdingnagian target of 357 runs after India posted 356/2. Led by Babar Azam, Pakistan could only manage to score a mere 128/10 in 32.0 overs, resulting in a crushing defeat. Babar Azam perhaps should have played aggressive brand of cricket rather than getting into the shell
However, the match was interrupted by rain on both days, one scheduled day, September 10th, and one reserve day, September 11th. Nevertheless, the dedicated ground staff persevered, and the result was eventually decided on the reserve day.
To make matters worse, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on the reserve day that their key pacer, Haris Rauf, was sidelined due to a suspected side strain he picked up during Sunday’s play.
India’s victory margin of 228 runs was a record-breaker, comfortably eclipsing their previous margin of 140 runs against Pakistan in 2008. This loss was the second-largest defeat for Pakistan in ODIs in terms of runs (228).
Top Performers Of The Match
Kohli’s Record-Breaking Brilliance
Virat Kohli, the ‘Ton Machine’ and arguably the greatest of all time, showcased his strength by scoring his 77th international century, which also marked his 47th ODI century. Kohli’s unbeaten 122 runs off 94 balls, including 9 fours and 3 sixes, were nothing short of spectacular. He reached his half-century in 55 balls and accelerated to his 47th ODI hundred in just 29 more balls. Kohli’s feat of having 112 fifty-plus scores in ODIs ties him with former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, placing them jointly third on the all-time list.
What’s more, Kohli became the fastest player to reach 13,000 runs in ODI cricket, achieving this milestone in his 267th innings, a remarkable 54 innings fewer than Sachin Tendulkar. This leaves Kohli just 2 hundreds shy of Tendulkar’s tally of 49 ODI centuries.
Kohli also holds the distinction of being the fastest batter to score 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000, 12,000, and 13,000 ODI runs. Notably, this marked Kohli’s third century against Pakistan, with all three occurring at neutral venues. To add to his accolades, Kohli was awarded the Player of the Match today, making him the first player to have received this honor on four occasions for India in the ODI Asia Cup.
KL Rahul’s Resurgent Heroics
KL Rahul made a stunning return after a six-month hiatus due to injury, silencing his critics with an unbeaten 111 runs off 106 balls, including 12 fours and 2 sixes. His partnership of 233* runs with Kohli was a record-breaker, being the highest partnership for India against Pakistan in ODIs and the highest partnership in the ODI Asia Cup.
This also stands as India’s second-highest partnership for the 3rd wicket in ODIs. Furthermore, it was the third instance in which India’s No.3 and No.4 scored hundreds in an ODI.
Dynamic Opening Duo: Sharma and Gill Shine
Indian openers, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, set the stage with a brilliant opening partnership of 121 runs. Sharma notched his 50th fifty, scoring 56 runs off 49 balls, while Gill contributed 58 runs off 52 balls, including 10 fours. Their elegant batting dismantled the Pakistani opening bowlers with ease.
Kuldeep Yadav’s Magical Five-Wicket Haul
Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav showcased his prowess by taking his second fifer in ODIs, clinching 5 crucial wickets. He dismissed Fakhar Zaman (27), Agha Salman (23), Shadab Khan (6), Iftikhar Ahmed (23), and Faheem Ashraf (4). Yadav’s mastery of the Chinaman delivery made it a daunting task for the Pakistani batsmen to read his variations. His final bowling figures read an impressive 8-0-25-5.
India’s Top Four Domination
India’s top four batsmen, Sharma, Gill, Kohli, and Rahul, outshined the Pakistani bowling attack. What’s remarkable is that each of India’s top 4 batsmen made scores of 50 or more. Their collective performance powered India to a joint-highest ODI total against Pakistan, matching their previous record of 356/9, set in 2005 at Vishakhapatnam. The quartet’s dominating display left Pakistan struggling throughout the match.
We Were Not Up To The Mark With Our Batting And Bowling – Babar Azam
In the post-match presentation, Pakistan Captain Babar Azam acknowledged the impact of the weather and also recognized that India’s well-executed plans, especially from their openers, played a pivotal role in the match’s outcome. Babar Azam also mentioned that Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj’s early bowling spells, combined with India’s top-order brilliance, indeed put Pakistan on the back foot throughout the game. Babar Azam was optimistic of making a comeback in the championship.
“Weather was not in our hands but we tried our best. We were not up to the mark with our batting and bowling,” said Babar Azam.
“They (Indian openers) had plans for our bowlers and started well and that was followed up by Virat and Rahul. Jasprit and Siraj bowled well in the first 10 overs and swung the ball both ways, but our batting was not up to the mark,” Babar Azam added.
What’s Next
Following this commanding victory, India is set to face Sri Lanka on the 12th of September, immediately after the reserve day on the 11th of September, at the same venue. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s next challenge is against Sri Lanka on the 14th of September, also at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.