Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
Remember when Pakistan were going to win the World Cup? Fakhar Zaman was the best thing since sliced bread, and you couldn’t dare mention the need for Pakistan to do to greater opposition what they did to Zimbabwe.
It has been an Asia Cup of turmoil. Fakhar Zaman reportedly left during the Afghanistan game for Zimbabwe, so too Sarfraz Ahmed who was having the time of his life in Africa. The biggest concern over there was Hasan Ali pulling a neck muscle when doing his “boom” celebration.
Of course, I’m joking, but the reality for Pakistan is that they need to be more consistent against the top sides. It’s two days since the match, but I just had to get a player ratings piece together. Pakistan’s Champions Trophy victory last year showed us they could perform well, but their performances against India in this tournament shows that their bad days are still very prominent. That, combined with their 5-0 abomination in New Zealand earlier this year shows they have plenty of improvement in them.
For India, well, they’d be thinking what all the India v Pakistan hype is about. Two potential blockbusters have not even made a slight crack in that block, with India forcing their way into the Final with the most dominant of performances. Their bowling is as clinical as ever, and their opening combination is in imperious touch.
In this article, each player will be put under the CricBlog microscope, and rated out of ten! Watch out…
PS, looking to improve your cricketing skills? More wickets? More runs? More fun? Check out some great tips from Cricket Secrets! You can visit here.
Pakistan
Babar Azam: One of a spate of run outs during the match. Sold down the river by his captain. Reportedly told Sarfraz Ahmed that he had another useless match. 1
Sarfraz Ahmed: Fakhar ran away during the Afghanistan game, and Sarfraz reportedly ran away after the India game. Terrible running contributing to Babar Azam’s dismissal, and was threatening to get going but got out at a bad time. Can’t blame him if he forgot what it was like to bat out in the middle for a prolonged period of time. 6.5
Shoaib Malik: Malik is an absolute expert at maneuvering the spinners in the middle overs. Strangled down the leg side and was the difference between Pakistan reaching 237 and 270. Quality knock. A couple of the other players could learn a thing or two. 9
Asif Ali: Was also a key cog in Pakistan’s quest to reach a competitive total. Showed his hitting potential with a couple of big sixes. 7
Shadab Khan: A day full of full tosses and long hops. One to forget. 2
Mohammad Nawaz: Ineffective. 2
Hasan Ali: “I wish to take all ten India wickets”, said Hasan Ali before the tournament. After two games against India, all Pakistan bowlers have two wickets combined. The photo below by World of Cricket Trolls is arguably the best thing ever. 2
Mohammad Amir: Virat Kohli apparently didn’t play this tournament because he was scared of Mohammad Amir. After ten ODIs this year, Amir has three wickets. That’s two more than Alastair Cook has in Tests. 1
Shaheen Afridi: More dropped catches off this man’s bowling. Did he do anything to piss anyone off? 2
PS, looking to improve your cricketing skills? More wickets? More runs? More fun? Check out some great tips from Cricket Secrets! You can visit here.
India
Rohit Sharma: Sublime. Completely dominated the Pakistan side as if they were a park side. “All the talk was about Virat Kohli in the lead up to the tournament”, Rohit said. “They have forgotten about a certain Rohit Sharma.” Also, his tactics on the field is excellent, in my opinion. 10
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| Interesting words from Rohit Sharma after the match |
Shikhar Dhawan: Shikhar THEone. His white ball form is unbelievable, and is looking a million bucks. He enables Rohit to take his time early. Part of a fantastic opening partnership. 10
Ambati Rayudu: Felt what it was like to be a Pakistan no.4 and lower batsman in Zimbabwe. Will he get a go against Afghanistan? 5
Kedhar Jadhav: Expensive in his three overs, and wasn’t required with the bat. 3
MS Dhoni: Dhoni the keeper is magnificent. He was the reason for the wicket of Imam-ul-Haq. The Dhoni Review System in full flow. 7
Dinesh Karthik: Was pictured having a cup of tea on the field. It was a hot day, but why not? N/A
Ravindra Jadeja: Superb in the field, but inconsistent with the ball. The challenge for Jadeja is showing that the Bangladesh game on Friday was not a one-off. 4
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Not as fruitful as his previous two games, but Bhuvi remains a vital cog in India’s quest to lift the Asia Cup Trophy. 5
Kuldeep Yadav: Name: Kuldeep Yadav. Occupation: Building pressure on the opposition. Another good day. 8
Yuzvendra Chahal: Another good day out for Yuzvendra Chahal, also. Reached his 50th wicket in his 30th ODI. 7.5
Jasprit Bumrah: What an incredible bowler this guy is. Unconventional, unorthodox, but damn effective. India’s best bowler in this game. 9
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So, another thrashing in an India-Pakistan game. Is it worth building up to these games anymore? We may not need to if Pakistan put on another poor showing against Bangladesh!
For India, they are on fire at the moment. Their middle order remains the worry, but the top order is ensuring they are not needed.
Thanks for reading!
PS, looking to improve your cricketing skills? More wickets? More runs? More fun? Check out some great tips from Cricket Secrets! You can visit here.
