IND vs PAK 2022: "Suddenly Dubai strip is shaved"- Shoaib Akhtar unhappy with pitch after India's blazing start
Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has expressed his unhappiness over the pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium for the ongoing match between India and Pakistan on Sunday.
Both teams played a match at this venue last Sunday. In that match, there was some swing and assist for the pacers initially. However, the deck for tonight's game seems a little flatter.
Indian openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul got the Men in Blue off to a blazing start after Pakistan opted to field first. They added 54 runs for the first wicket in just five overs. Shoaib Akhtar took to Twitter to share his views on the pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium and wrote:
"Wow. Suddenly dubai strip is shaved. Grass gone. Hmmm achaaa."
Wow. Suddenly dubai strip is shaved. Grass gone. Hmmm achaaa.
Fans have mixed reactions to the tweet from Shoaib Akhtar
Cricket fans on Twitter had different reactions to the tweet posted by Akhtar. Some disagreed with him and said that his statement made no sense. Others sensed how Akhtar subtly pointed at how the pitch could have been made flatter so that the Indian batters could tackle the pace of Pakistan's bowlers. Here are some of the reactions:
@Pakistani68798 @shoaib100mph Koi sense hai iss baat ka hai
@Shibu_NotSoren @shoaib100mph Shoaib akhtar is implying grass removed on BCCI instructions.. as indian batting afraid of pakistan fast..
@shoaib100mph Yes there is no swing
@shoaib100mph You won't get grass in Australia either. They'll be bald like this.
Pakistan bounce back by dismissing Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in quick succession
Pakistan have dismissed both Indian openers now. Rohit Sharma lost his wicket to Haris Rauf on the first ball of the sixth over. Soon after, leg-spinner Shadab Khan bagged KL Rahul's wicket. India are down to 62/2 at 6.1 overs.
At the time of writing, last match's heroes Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli are batting in the middle now. Both batters scored match-winning fifties for India in the last game against Hong Kong.
It will be interesting to see how many runs they score in tonight's match. The pitch looks great to bat on, and it should not be a surprise if they have another big partnership in Dubai.
Do you agree with Shoaib Akhtar's statement? Share your answers in the comments below.