A Pace Bowling Clinic, Even As Rain Plays Mischief

Waqar Younis was not too happy with the performance of Shaheen Shah Afridi in his first couple of overs against India in their Asia Cup encounter in cloudy Pallekele. 

“Too full,” was the verdict of the pace great on the length Afridi had bowled. Too full also meant predictable. India were prepared for that length and that incoming line. This was evident in the two boundaries Rohit Sharma dispatched Afridi for. 

Waqar made his comments in the television studio, with Sanjay Manjrekar by his side, during the first rain interruption after 4.2 overs. But the Pakistan dressing room too would have noticed Afridi’s error of judgment and briefed him about it. When the match resumed, he was a different bowler. He had made the necessary tweaks, bowling at a good length but not full, and getting the ball to move away from the right-hander. 

Having planted the doubt in Sharma’s mind, he got one to straighten. It whizzed past the Indian captain’s blade, crashing into the stumps. The Pakistan fast-bowling clinic had begun. 

Virat Kohli signaled his intention to take on the attack by planting his left foot forward and hitting Naseem Shah, Pakistan’s best bowler of this phase, for four with a glorious cover drive. But in the next over by Afridi, he too was gone, a bit unlucky as an inside edge got him bowled. But there was no doubt that Afridi’s pace and length contributed to it. 

At the other end, Shah and Haris Rauf were a torrid test for the batters as well, generating serious pace and movement. 

Then Pakistan also got Shreyas Iyer, who flat-batted a pull straight into the hands of mid-wicket on the cusp of the 10th over. It was clear who the winner of the first passage of play was. It wasn’t India. 

There is a lot of cricket left in this game. But Afridi, Shah and Rauf reminded us of how compelling fast bowling can be. Regardless of what happens in the end, fans and players will remember the first ten overs for a while.