Just before the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 showdown on September 14, former Pakistan great Wasim Akram has issued a strong caution: India’s spin attack, especially Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy, could unsettle Pakistan’s middle-order badly. After India’s dominant performance against UAE, where Kuldeep took 4 for 7, the spin duo have momentum, and Akram believes Pakistan may not be fully prepared.
Pakistan’s middle order, built around names like Salman Agha, Mohammad Haris and Hasan Nawaz, lacks extensive match exposure under high pressure against quality wrist spin or mystery spin. On pitches that offer variation and drift, those batters may face a steep challenge. We even saw it against Oman. From a position of 89/1, Pakistan endured a collapse after their middle order struggled badly and were reduced to 120/5.
“The problem I see for Pakistan is their middle-order batting versus India’s spinners. You can see off Jasprit Bumrah, but the likes of Varun and Kuldeep could trouble the batters. If a batter tries to read the ball after it has pitched, it means you have no idea what is happening,” Akram said.
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