Lbw given, Lalit reviews. Length ball landed in line and went straight. Lalit tried to work it across. Landed on middle, impact middle and leg, hitting leg stump. Game over
Pakistan vs Nepal, 1st Match, Group A at Multan, Asia Cup, Aug 30 2023 - Ball by Ball Commentary
No surprises today despite Nepal's promising start with the ball. Babar and Iftikhar took the game firmly in the hosts' grasp. Pakistan's bowling was clinical and it gives them a solid net run rate. Join us tomorrow for Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh in Pallekelle. Goodbye for now from me, Ekanth, my report-writing co-commentator, Hemant Brar, and our scorers, Thilak Rama and K Vairavan.
Babar Azam, Pakistan captain and POTM: (On the phases of his innings) When I went in, I played myself in for a couple of balls. Ball wasn't coming on, pitch was two-paced. Rizwan and I built a partnership and see what happened. Then, there were different phases. Sometimes, Rizwan gave me confidence and vice-versa. When Iftikhar came, we played different cricket. He can struggle a bit before he gets set. I asked him to play his natural game. After two-three fours, he was comfortable. He smacked it after 40 overs. (On bowling performance) I'm satisfied. A couple of overs we were not up to the mark. Pacers started well, spinners struck too. This game was good preparation for the India game because it gave us confidence. We want to give 100% every match, hope to do that there as well.
Mustafa Moudi : "Even before the India-Pakistan encounter, Babar's side have already defeated Rohit's Team tonight!!"
Arish: "5 wickets from the pacers, 5 wickets from the spinners"
Rohit Paudel, Nepal Captain: We started well. We restricted them to under 240 with the ball but let ourselves down with the bat. Wicket-taking balls weren't there in the middle overs, credit goes to Babar and their team as well. Learning from the game is we need to improve in the death overs, and we need to do well with the ball.
8:54pm: A 238-run win for Pakistan to start the tournament. Fireworks go off over the ground. Crowd are happy. A clinical performance with the ball from the hosts. Shaheen and Naseem sliced through the top order early. The conditions were tough on the body for the bowlers. But they persevered. Haris was destructive with his pace. Shadab ended up with a four-for. Fakhar's catch to dismiss Gulsan was a highlight. In the end, the hosts picked up two points and will take a healthy net run rate.
Lalit has no clue but manages to block it from just below the sticker because it was on the shorter side.
Slip, leg slip in
Taken at mid-off! Shadab enticed the drive down the ground by slowing the googly down, landed it on off and turned it away. Kushal made a bit of room and tried to launch it over mid-off, who was in, but holes out there.
Legbreak lands on a length, spins away. Steered with the turn to deep point
Mudassar : "Who is Marshalling the team in Babars Absence?" Rizwan
Length ball spins in towards fourth stump, punched back to the bowler
Launched over midwicket. Looped up on off, Kushal got on one knee and slog swept it for a 77-metre six
Full on leg, tried to work it to long-on, gets it to the left of long-off. Throw bulleted to the striker's end, direct hit but the batter is in
Length outside off, guided to short third
Length on leg, blocked in front
Back of length outside off, guides it in the short-third gap for four
Another dart. 92kph, full on fourth. Driven to long-off
Thanks, Hemant
Ekanth coming to finish things up
A googly does the trick. Slow on a length, Lamichhane tried to heave it across over midwicket. Missed it all ends up
flatter and quicker. Lamichhane backs away and hits it back towards the bowler
Sandeep Lamichhane
Mohammad Sowkat: "What is the physical condition of Shaheen Shah Afridi?? " --- Shaheen was back on the field. Babar is still in the dressing room, I think
what a catch by Fakhar! Full on the stumps, and Jha goes for a slog sweep. Gets a top edge towards deep midwicket. Fakhar charges in, dives forward and takes the catch mid-air. And he ensures he doesn't spill it as he hits the ground
Over the wicket
finds the cover fielder once again
wide down the leg side
A leg slip in place
full around off. Driven towards covers
Around the wicket
length ball around off. Defended with a straight bat off the back foot
Kushal Malla is the new batter. Over the wicket to the left-hander
Bowled 'im! A length ball around off that came in with the arm. Airee looks to defend but gets an inside edge that crashes into the stumps
length ball around off. Jha drops it on the off side and picks up a quick single
Over the wicket to a left-hander