India Pakistan Match: Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli-Shreyas Iyer subdue in front of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

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India and Pakistan are locking horns in the Asia Cup 2023 on Saturday (September 2) at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy. Team India faced significant blows early in the highly anticipated contest as they lost the key wickets of their captain Rohit Sharma, his predecessor Virat Kohli and a potential future skipper Shreyas Iyer.

Renowned for its high stakes due to the historical rivalry between these two nations, the match witnessed a swift turn of events, deeply unsettling Team India's strategy. India Pakistan Match: 'Flat track bullies!' fans criticise Indian top-order on Twitter for dismal show

Rain halts play, breaks India's momentum

Indian openers, Rohit Sharma and young Shubman Gill commenced the match on a cautious note after the skipper won the toss, electing to bat first. Despite a sedate start, the Indian camp looked happy as they braved the barrage of quality pace bowling from Pakistan's strike pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.

But the Indians soon found themselves grappling with the stunning loss of Rohit and Kohli, both cheaply dismissed by Pakistan's dynamic left-arm pacer, Shaheen Shah Afridi. India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2023: Fans react on Twitter over non-selection of these star Indian players

A Disastrous Start for India

The match, already intertwined with anticipation, saw a lull creep in as Sharma and Kohli, two of the most revered batsmen in international cricket, succumbed to the pace and swing of Afridi. IND vs PAK, Asia Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli-Shreyas Iyer subdue in front of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

The scoreboard read a bleak 27/2 in 6.3 overs, demoralizing for the experienced Indian side used to solid starts from their top-order batsmen. Afridi clearly exploited the pitch conditions and dominated the Indian openers, leaving the Indian dressing room slightly on edge.

Soon after, India were three down as right-arm pacer Haris Rauf dismissed Shreyas Iyer for 14 off 9 balls. It was a sharp catch from Fakhar Zaman at mid-wicket which ended the innings of the Mumbaikar, making a comeback in international cricket after an injury layoff. India were 48/3 in 9.5 overs.

Shaheen Afridi on Fire

A brief disruption in the match due to rain seemed to have done little to dampen Afridi's determination. The lanky bowler ensured a resumption of spectacular form, first clean bowling Rohit in the fourth over. He then scalped the second big wicket of Kohli in the very next over.

Kohli - who played a glorious cover drive to get off the mark in the high-stakes encounter - was sent back, caught chopping onto his stumps and dealing a major blow to Team India's expectations.

Faced with a relentless pace attack from Pakistan, India had a rocky start in what was expected to be a fascinating contest. The immediate loss of key wickets inside the first 10 overs highlighted the domination of Pakistani bowlers and the possible lack of preparation of Indian batters.

As the match resumed after the brief rain spell, all eyes were keenly fixed on Rohit, Kohli and Iyer but they left the team in the lurch inside the first powerplay and disappointed their fans. The Men in Blue are now looking forward to a promising comeback from the middle-order to revive the innings.