IND vs PAK: How Babar Azam captaincy put a brake on flying start from Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill

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Babar Azam's captaincy was criticised in the first match after India recovered from four down to 66 and Ishan Kishan forged a 138-run partnership with Hardik Pandya for the fifth wicket.

The 28-year-old was slammed for not attacking India when their chips were down. Former cricketers and experts were of the view that Babar Azam should have continued with his pacers and looked to bundle out India early.

However, his captaincy in the Super Fours match against India to bring Pakistan back in the contest against the arch-rivals is being praised all.

India were cruising at 121/0 in 16.3 overs as their openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma were going all guns blazing, taking away the game completely from Pakistan. Shadab Khan was being taken to the cleaners by the India captain. His first two overs saw him leak 31 runs as Rohit slammed three sixes off him.

However, Babar Azam did not panic and persisted with the leg-spinner who finally got the big wicket of Rohit Sharma on the fourth ball of his third over.

As soon as the new batterw Virat Kohli walked in the middle, Babar Azam brought back Shaheen Afridi who gave away 31 runs in his first spell of three overs. The idea to put pressure on Virat Kohli and India in general after the fall of Rohit's wicket worked and Shaheen Afridi ended up picking the wicket on the fifth delivery.

A slower delivery trapped Shubman Gill as he ended up chipping a simple catch to Salman Agha who was placed perfectly at cover. The dismissals of the two set batters in a span of eight deliveries changed the momentum and put break on the rollicking Indian innings.

At the time rain stopped play, India were two down for 147 in 24.1 overs. The run-rate which was 7.66 at the end of 15 overs, was down to 6.08.