As the Indian batting line-up, most notably the Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, blunted the famed Pakistani bowling, hitting sixes and boundaries at will, former Indian cricketer and ace commentator Ravi Shastri dismissed unwarranted hype around frontline Pakistan bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi.
“Shaheen Shah Afridi koi Wasim Akram nahin hai…usko itna upar nahin chadhana chahiye…thik thak bowler hai…vaisa boliye (Shaheen Shah Afridi is no Wasim Akram. He is good with the new ball, but apart from that, there’s nothing special. He’s no big deal. You have to accept the truth),” Shastri said while commentating alongside Irfan Pathan abd Jatin Sapru.
India coasted to victory in their encounter with arch-rivals Pakistan, extending their unbeaten streak in the World Cups to 8-0. India’s emphatic victory was powered by an impactful all-round bowling performance and imperious batting by captain Rohit Sharma, who hit six sixes in his 86 before getting out on the short mid-wicket. Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul finished things off in style, surpassing Pakistan’s 191 in 31st over.
In a one-sided affair, India once again proved to be a better side pulling a convincing victory against a formidable but unpredictable Pakistani side. With this 7-wicket victory, India has improved its net run rate and thrown open the doors of qualification which now seems to be an inevitable outcome.