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Dinesh Karthik, the Indian wicket-keeper batter, has categorically said that the pace attack of Pakistan is better than India, during his stint as an expert with a sports website for the Asia Cup 2023. The 38-year-old talked about how Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf, who bowl around 90mph, are more potent on flat pitches, in comparison to their opposite counterparts Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj.
Notably, during the India vs Pakistan Group A match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on September 2, the highly accomplished trio of fast bowlers of the Men in Green picked up all ten wickets of Team India. Shaheen Afridi managed to scalp four opposition batters, while Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf got into the act with three wickets each.
While talking to Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik went on to describe the Pakistan trio and said, as per the report from the Indian Express, “Shaheen, Haris Rauf and Naseem can bowl 90+ consistently and all three are very different in nature. Shaheen Shah obviously the left-armer, has an angle to it and brings the ball back in, Naseem Shah swings the ball both ways, Haris is arguably one of the best bowlers right now at the back end of an inning because of his skid and the nasty bouncer that he’s got.”
The Chennai-born cricketer spoke about how he would prefer to face the Indian bowling attack of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj on flat pitches, instead of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf. He was quoted as saying, “For me they are a far more potent attack on flat wickets.”
“If there is something in the pitch then both attacks at all times become very equal but if I had to play an attack I have a feeling, I have a better chance of probably playing Jasprit, Bumrah, Siraj and Shami only because the bounce they’ll get will be slightly lesser than what these three other bowlers can do from Pakistan,” the 38-year-old added.
