Asia Cup 2023, IND vs PAK match latest update: Pakistan dearly missed the services of Haris Rauf against India after…
Haris Rauf. (Photo: Twitter/@BBL)
Asia Cup 2023, IND vs PAK match latest update: Pakistan dearly missed the services of Haris Rauf against India after the right-arm quick was ruled out of the remainder of the Asia Cup Super Four match against India, that stretched to the Reserve Day on Monday after incessant rainfall forced umpires to call off the match after 24.1 overs with India batting on 147/2.
Rauf hasn’t taken the field against India on Monday after feeling “a little discomfort in his right flank” on Sunday. While the extent of Rauf’s injury is not clear, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued a statement, confirming the injury.
“He was subsequently taken for a precautionary MRI, which revealed no tear. He is under the observation of the team’s medical panel,” the PCB statement read.
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Pakistan paid the price of Rauf’s absence and it bowlers struggled against KL Rahul and Virat Kohli. At the time of filing this report, India were 293/2 in 44.3 over with KL Rahul (88 off 93) and Virat Kohli (83 off 73) still on the crease.
Pakistan’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said on the official broadcast that Rauf had “pulled an oblique muscle” and with the ICC World Cup around the corner, “we’re going to put him on ice” for the moment. Morkel also said that Rauf had started feeling discomfort when he bowled his second over on Sunday.
As a result, for the rest of the India innings in Colombo, Pakistan will have three pace options in Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Faheem Ashraf, with Shadab Khan their lead spinner and a combination of Iftikhar Ahmed and Agha Salman’s part-time offspin.
Rauf bowled five overs without a wicket and conceded 27 runs on Sunday during his India’s openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill slammed half-centuries and put on 121 for the first wicket.
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