Top 3 talking points from Pakistan vs Nepal Asia Cup clash

In the opening game of the Asia Cup 2023, Pakistan beat Nepal by 238 runs. In the one-sided game, Pakistani batters posted a whopping total of 342/6 in 50 overs. Riding on skipper Babar Azam’s 151 and Ifthikhar Ahmed’s magnificent century, Pakistan announced their arrival in the tournament. Ahead of the classic India vs. Pakistan clash, the hosts displayed their amazing performance in Multan.

With this victory, Pakistan also confirmed their progress to Super 4. However, the team will have a key battle with India on Saturday. However, ahead of that game, it’s time to analyse the performance of Babar Azam’s army and find out the top talking points of the game. In today’s article, we will discuss Pakistan’s performance and Nepal’s emergence in Asian cricket.

1. Babar Azam: The Backbone of Pakistan Cricket

Ahead of the crucial India vs. Pakistan game, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam warned his opponents. With a blistering 151-run knock, Babar not only dismantled Nepal but also warned Indian team management. It’s worth noting that Babar will be the most prized wicket for Indian bowlers during the game between the two countries.

With this innings, the Pakistan skipper also proved his importance to the team. After two quick wickets, Babar established a partnership with middle-order batters and rescued his team. His performance will be Pakistan’s key to success in the upcoming months, especially in the ODI World Cup.

2. Pakistan has the best bowling line-up.

It might be early to say, but Pakistan arguably has the best pace bowling attack in the Indian subcontinent. In these conditions, the raw pace of Pakistani bowlers has troubled teams even on flat tracks. In powerplay, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf have been phenomenal throughout the Afghanistan series and against Nepal too.

It will be a key task for Indian batters to counter their raw pace and precise line and length. India and other teams will surely be practicing hard for them, and it is enough to understand their deadlines in these conditions. However, in ODIs, Indian batters have been phenomenal against Afridi, but this time it will be a new challenge.

3. Nepal: A long way to go!

Despite making it into the continental tournament by beating teams like Hong Kong and the UAE, Nepal is far from the standards of Asian cricket giants. It’s unnecessary to expect a shocking performance from them, but the lack of basic fielding and bowling skills was evident during their campaign opener.

After getting two early breakthroughs, Nepal had a golden opportunity to tighten their grip on the game. However, their poor bowling performance and bad fielding helped Pakistan play with them amazingly. However, it will be a great learning experience for Nepal and might encourage them to produce some key performances in the upcoming years.