Indian openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma looked scared against Pakistan pacers: Shoaib Akhtar
Shoaib Akhtar said Rahul and Rohit looked scared against the Pakistan pacers.
India defeated Pakistan by four wickets in the last-ball thriller on Sunday in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022 to get off to a winning start in the tournament. However, their top-order woes were left exposed once again during the game as openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma failed to fire.
The Men in Blue rode on Virat Kohli's unbeaten 82 and a crucial 40-run-knock from Hardik Pandya to chase down the tricky target of 160 runs after a poor start at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has said thatthe Indian openers looked scared against the Pakistan pacers in the powerplay.
Both Rahul and Rohit were dismissed for four runs each leaving India in a spot of bother early in the high-pressure chase. While Rahul played one onto his stumps against NaseemShah after being beaten by pace, Rohit edged one from Haris Rauf to get caught at first slip.
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It was a horrendous start forIndia and their woes were further compounded when both Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel too departed cheaply leaving the team reeling on 31/4 at one stage in the run-chase. Akhtar said the Indian openers looked under pressure and advised Rohit to stay calm.
"India’s openers are looking a little under pressure and scared. Rohit needs to calm down as a captain, his batting is bearing the brunt of it," said the former Pakistan pacer in a video on his YouTube channel where he analysedthe game.
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Akhtar also praised Kohli for his match-winning 82 and labelled it the greatest knock of his career so far. However, the former Pakistan pacer also surprisingly urged Kohli to retire from T20Is and focus on ODIs, arguing that the senior batter can score more hundreds in the 50-over format.
Rahul and Rohit's performances in big matches have been a concern for the Indian team for a while now and the openers will be hoping to prove the notion wrong going forward in the T20 World Cup this year. India will face Netherlands in their next Super 12 clash on Thursday.