Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi said that bowling to Babar Azam in the nets helped him prepare against Virat Kohli ahead of their ICC T20 World Cup 2021 clash against India.
Team India looked clueless in their first match of the T20 World Cup against Pakistan on October 24 in Dubai. The Babar Azam-led side outclassed their opposition in all three departments of the game and defeated ‘Men in Blue’ for the first time in World Cup history.
Bowling first, Shaheen Afridi jolted Team India with the wicket of Rohit Sharma in the very first over and then bowled a peach of a delivery to send KL Rahul packing in his next over leaving India 6/2.
Read Also: ‘Pakistan outplayed us today’, admits Virat Kohli after India's crushing 10-wicket loss'
Skipper Virat Kohli along with Rishabh Pant tried his best to bail India out of trouble but it was only a matter of time as southpaw was caught and bowled by Shadab Khan for 39 runs.
Though Virat Kohli smashed his 29th T20I fifty, Shaheen Afridi came back and send the Indian skipper back to the dressing room for 57 runs as Team India posted a total of 151 runs in their 20 overs.
Chasing the target, Pakistan openers Babar Azam (68*) and Mohammad Rizwan (79*) thrashed the Virat Kohli-led side by 10 wickets and chased the target with more than two overs to spare to register their first win against ‘Men in Blue’ in World Cup.
Shaheen Afridi, who won the Player of the Match, said that he had planned to dismiss Virat Kohli and he bowled to India skipper just like he used to do to Babar Azam in the nets.
"Had planned to dismiss Virat but he is a number one player. There is no difference in the batting of Babar and Virat. I just bowled how I used to bowl Babar in nets. I didn't get the swing in my third over so I tried to hit the good length or bowl a slower cutter," Shaheen Afridi said in the post-match press conference.
Afridi revealed that he bowled three overs in the power play for the first time and with the ball moving he wanted to give an early breakthrough to his team. He added that bowling yorker with a new ball is his strength and his plan to dismiss Rohit Sharma paid off.
Related: ‘We prepared well and kept the history out of our mind’, Babar Azam after emphatic win over India
"It is the first time that I've bowled three overs in the powerplay and the ball was moving, so I wanted to give a breakthrough to my team and the conditions were such that the ball was moving. I just tried and got results. Bowling yorker with a new ball is my strength and I always try to provide a breakthrough to my side. I had planned to dismiss Rohit and it paid off,” he said.
The Indian team will next lock horns with New Zealand on 31st October, while Pakistan will take on the same opponents on 26th October.
(ANI inputs)
