Asia Cup: Hayden warns Rohit Sharma ahead of Shaheen Afridi battle, picks winner of India-Pakistan tie

All eyes are now on the India versus Pakistan clash in what will be the third game of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 edition. The match will take place in Kandy and is expected to be an enthralling battle between the two arch-rivals. Babar Azam-led Men in Green will be keen to make it two wins in a row, after thrashing Nepal in the tournament-opener, whereas Rohit Sharma & Co. will aim for a winning start.

Ahead of the face-off, many former cricketers have shared their take on the mother-of-all-clashes. Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has also joined the bandwagon and advised Indian captain Rohit to start cautiously against Shaheen Afridi -- who got the better of him in the 2021 T20 World Cup -- and also picked the winner of the clash.

On Star Sports' Game Plan, Hayden said, "India is playing against Pakistan’s pace trio. Well, I can tell you this is one of the spiciest competitions on the planet. We’ve got Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem. Three very different types of bowlers and unique bowlers which require unique plans from Team India. Firstly, the conditions here in Kandy tend to have quite a lot of bounce, so you’ve got to watch that out, especially Haris Rauf. He’ll want to really hustle in and hit the top of off stump."

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"You’ve got to be conservative against Shaheen Afridi. Remember back to the World Cup more recently; Shaheen was able to take early wickets. We’ll never forget that ball that he bowled to captain Rohit Sharma, so a little bit of caution against Shaheen Afridi. If it's swinging, look to play out those first three overs,” he advised.

The 51-year-old further opined, "I think with Naseem, even though he will shape the ball, Pakistan can be in a position to advance forward with India managing to take them out of play by aggressive plays against someone like Naseem. Put him under pressure, feel like you are in front of the game."

The Aussie named the winner of the mega contest, citing 'a deeper and classier batting line-up' to aid the victorious side. "All in all, though, I think it’s going to be Team India that’s going to win. I think they’ve got a deeper, classier batting lineup, and I think they’ve got form on the board as well,” said Hayden.

There are high chances of India and Pakistan locking horns thrice overall in this edition of the Asia Cup, in the Super Four and also in the final. The summit clash will take place on September 17 in Colombo. It is to be noted that both the teams have never met in the tournament finale. However, history might be rewritten this time around.

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