Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi emphasised the importance of dismissing Hardik Pandya in the Asia Cup match against India in Pallekele, which could not be completed due to rain.
“After the big partnership, Pandya’s wicket was very crucial at that time. Had the match happened, the result was in our hands, but we can’t do anything about the weather. Overall, our performance was good,” Afridi was quoted as saying in a video uploaded on Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) X handle.
As India slumped to 66/4 after 14.1 overs, Pandya stabilised the innings. He played a significant role in the recovery, scoring 87 from 90 balls with seven fours and a six, before Afridi deceived him with a slower delivery.
Even though India still managed 266 runs, Afridi was one of the stars of the day. After removing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in his opening spell, he came back to dismiss Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja to finish with figures of 10-2-35-4.
The point Pakistan secured sealed their spot in the Super Four. This means the winner of India and Nepal on September 4 will be the other team from the group to advance to the next round.