Pakistan suffered a heartbreaking five-wicket defeat at the hands of arch-rivals India in their Asia Cup 2022 opener at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (August 28).
Invited to bat first, Pakistan were bowled out for 147 in 19.5 overs and then the Men in Blue chased down the target with two balls to spare.
With the ball, Pakistan’s second-string attack did well to take the game to the final over. In the end, Hardik Pandya’s 33* off 17 balls took India over the finishing line.
After the game, former Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik shared a video on social media, where he could be seen watching the live action alongside injured Shaheen Afridi.
“I think we are missing one person out there on the field right now,” Malik wrote in the caption.
Shaheen was ruled out of the six-team tournament with a knee injury that he sustained during the first Test against Sri Lanka last month.
Notably, the left-arm pacer had played a major role in Pakistan’s 10-wicket win over India in last year's T20 World Cup in Dubai. Mohammad Hasnain has been named his replacement for the ongoing Asia Cup.
For Pakistan, Naseem Shah was the stand-out pacer as he returned with the figures of 2 for 27 in his four overs on debut. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz also took three wickets, including prized scalps of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Pakistan will face Hong Kong in their second Asia Cup 2022 match on September 2.
