Mohammed Siraj struck in his second spell to break the partnership for the third wicket between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in the high-octane clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, October 14. The right-arm pacer dismissed the Pakistan skipper right after he reached his half-century, his first against India in ODIs. The Men in Blue were searching for answers, with the right-handed pair having put on 82 runs off 107 deliveries and setting a platform in the middle overs.
Bowling the 30th over of the innings, Siraj was hit for a four off the first ball of the over by Rizwan. Babar Azam reclaimed the strike in the fourth delivery and was outdone by a delivery that skid on after pitching.
The ace batter looked to dab the delivery down to third man for a single but he missed the ball completely as he was a bit slow to bring his bat down in time to make any contact.
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Siraj’s wicket of Babar Azam was a crucial moment in the match, as it helped India to break the partnership and put the brakes on Pakistan’s scoring. Babar Azam is one of the best batters in the world and his ability to anchor the innings is invaluable to Pakistan.
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Babar Azam has not been able to play his best cricket against India. Prior to the ongoing contest, Babar Azam had only scored 168 runs in six innings at an average of 28.00.
Among the six innings, three of them were in the forties. He finally managed to reach the fifty-run milestone for the first time against India, in what looks like a solid batting surface in Ahmedabad.
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Pakistan is currently placed at 157-3 after 31 overs. The in-form Saud Shakeel is the new man at the crease while Mohammad Rizwan is inching closer to his half-century. It remains to be seen whether Pakistan can capitalize on the start provided by Babar Azam and Rizwan and post a big total on the board. India will need to take quick wickets if they want to restrict Pakistan to a low score.
