NEW DELHI: Ahead of the much-anticipated Asia Cup encounter between arch rivals India and Pakistan, former cricketer Mohammed Kaif shared valuable insights on how Men In Blue can stand up against Pakistan star pacer Shaheen Afridi’s formidable pace and swing.
Kaif emphasized the significance of the initial overs and maintaining a composed approach in the early stages of the match.
“You can practice all you want but on the day of the match, that experience of seeing Shaheen Afridi take his ball, do his swing, and his speed, cannot be recreated in practice. It is good to practice, of course, but that same impression cannot be made. You still need to make the effort, and try to figure out the technique but Shaheen Afridi throwing the ball, walking or running the distance can not be done at practice” Kaif told Disney+ Hotstar.
Highlighting that India has faced early setbacks when facing Pakistan, often losing key wickets in the initial overs, Kaif said that top order batters will need to be particularly careful against pace sensation, who is known for his swing bowling and ability to take early wickets.
“Whenever India has lost it was in the first few overs after KL Rahul or Rohit Sharma got out. But I believe if they survive the 3rd or 4th over without losing a wicket, then the match is going to change. After that, you have a strong India team with Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja, who can finish well. The main role is the 3 overs as the bowl swings more, the team needs to tackle that. That’s their big challenge for the openers and Virat Kohli,” Kaif said. IANS
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