The difficulties the Indian batting order will encounter when facing the potent Pakistani speed trio of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah were emphasised by Matthew Hayden.
Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Shaheen Shah have become one of the most effective bowling attacks in the history of the game. Their recent matchup with India’s top order has been an exciting conflict. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli will once again face this elite three on Saturday in Kandy, which will be a formidable task.
During a conversation on Star Sports, the former Australian opener Mathew Hayden even went so far as to declare, “India is playing against Pakistan’s pace trio.”
“Well, I can tell you that this is one of the world’s spiciest competitions. We have Naseem, Haris Rauf, and Shaheen Afridi. Three very different bowler styles and distinctive bowlers necessitate specific approaches from Team India, he continued.
However, the atmosphere in Kandy for the second Asia Cup 2023 match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka has historically been sluggish. The pitch here has historically benefited seamers and does have a tendency to bounce a little bit more than other Sri Lankan grounds.
First off, keep an eye on Haris Rauf because the conditions in Kandy have a tendency to bounce quite a bit. The former Pakistani coach advises, “He’ll want to really hustle in and hit the top of off stump.
The Big Problem Afridi
Shaheen versus the Indian openers has taken front stage in the last few matches between these two teams. The capacity of the left-arm seamer to move the fresh ball both directions has led to a number of problems. The former Australian opener advises being cautious when facing Shaheen Afridi.
Both Indian supporters and the batters will still be haunted by the memory of Shaheen running with the new ball in Dubai during the T20 World Cup in 2021. “Recall how Shaheen was able to take early wickets at the World Cup more recently. Hayden remembered, “We’ll never forget the ball he bowled to Captain Rohit Sharma.
When Shaheen’s entering delivery trapped Rohit in front of wickets in the first over of that game, setting the tone for the remainder of the innings, Rohit, who had been developing a reputation for having a weakness against facing left-arm seam at the time, confirmed it.
In addition, Hayden offered a suggestion for how India might go in this situation: “If it’s swinging, look to play out those first three overs,” he advised. He also recommends squeezing runs against Naseem Shah from the other end.
Naseem is really swift even though he does not bowl many swinging deliveries. The Indian batting order hasn’t previously indicated any issues with pace bowling, either.
