Pakistan steamrolled past Nepal in Match 1 of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 by a humongous margin of 238 runs. It was one-sided traffic throughout the course of the game as Babar Azam and co. swept Nepal under the carpet in this match.
Things were too simple for Pakistan in this match at the Multan International Cricket Stadium. Batting first, the Men in Green posted a humongous total of 342 runs and loss only 6 wickets in this process.
In response, Nepal wilted under pressure as the Pakistan bowlers displayed class and composure and registered a victory in this match. Pakistan are now confident of displaying a good brand of cricket versus India on 2nd September 2023.
In this article, we take a look at 3 talking points of this Asia Cup 2023 game between Pakistan and Nepal:
1. Babar Azam and his stupendous innings
Skipper Babar Azam led from the front in Match 1 of this game for Pakistan and he slammed a knock of 151 runs. Pure class was oozing out from his blade as he smeared the Nepalese bowlers, all across the park.
His fantastic knock was peppered with 14 fours and 4 sixes and he had a blistering strike-rate of 115.27. Babar Azam’s knock was a classic and can well, make him win the player of the series award, if he performs moderately well in the remainder of the games.
2. Shadab Khan’s impressive bowling
The vice-captain of Pakistan, Shadab Khan performed really well with the white-cherry. He bagged 4 wickets and made sure that Nepal don’t get a chance in the 2nd innings of the game.
Shadab Khan’s fantastic bowling is a good sign for Team Pakistan as Pallekele will have spin-friendly conditions on 2nd September 2023. Pakistan would be confident that their star bowling all-rounder will play well against a dominant side like India.
Khan’s wickets were Gulsan Jha, Kushal Malla, Sandeep Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi.
3. Nepal’s lack of a fighting spirit
Notwithstanding the fact that this was Nepal’s debut outing in the Asia Cup 2023, one expected a better display with the bat and with the ball from Nepal. Several cricket pundits considered Nepal as a surprise package that could possibly upset Pakistan or India.
But the lack of the fighting spirit from Nepal was quite disappointing to see. At a time when Babar Azam scored 151 runs, the fact that Sompal Kami was the top-scorer of Nepal with a knock of 28 runs, speaks volumes about their dismal performance in this game.
Also read: Asia Cup 2023: BAN vs SL 1st Match Preview, Playing XI, All You Need To Know
