India vs Pakistan: Shoaib Akhtar lambasts Rohit Sharma over failures against Shaheen Afridi | Asia Cup

India's top-order batting when facing Pakistan has been a recurring concern, as the Men in Green's pace attack has consistently troubled Rohit Sharma and Co. over the past three years.

During the 2021 World Cup in the UAE, India found themselves at 31/3, and a year later at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne, the score was a dismal 31/4. In the ongoing Asia Cup in Pallekele, India once again faced a batting stutter, reaching 66/4, with captain Rohit Sharma's dismissal at the hands of Shaheen Afridi a reminder of his struggles against Shaheen's inswinging delivery.

Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has weighed in on this matter, drawing parallels between Rohit's recent dismissal and his wicket during the 2021 T20 World Cup match in Dubai. Shoaib suggests that Shaheen Afridi may have successfully gotten into Rohit's head.

In a conversation with Star Sports, Shoaib commented, "Yeh Rohit Sharma woh Rohit Sharma hai hi nahi. Yeh uska stunt double hai (This is not the same Rohit Sharma. This is his stunt double).”

He continued, "Shaheen has made his way into his mind. I have never seen Rohit change his stance, but what was happening there? He changed it, was beaten and bowled. Shaheen is subconsciously in his mind. This is what pressure of IND vs. PAK match does to players."

Shaheen to Rohit

Left - previous ball
Right- Wicket ball pic.twitter.com/0muG7mV0c0

— Nibraz Ramzan (@nibraz88cricket) September 3, 2023

These consistent struggles against Pakistan's bowling attack have raised questions about India's ability to handle high-class fast bowling in the early overs, and it remains to be seen how Rohit Sharma and his team will address this issue in future encounters, starting with the Super 4 match on Sunday.

Also read: India vs Pakistan Colombo weather on Sep 10: Sunday weather forecast for Asia Cup 2023 match