Don't just look to survive against Shaheen Afridi, look to score runs: Gautam Gambhir to Team India

Gautam Gambhir said on Thursday. India will take on arch-rivals on October 23 in Melbourne. Afridi, who is returning from a knee injury that ruled him out of the Asia Cup, is expected to pose a serious threat to the Indian batters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the upcoming T20 showpiece.

Read AlsoShaheen Shah Afridi fitness crucial to Pakistan's T20 World Cup challenge

Former champions Pakistan are counting on fit-again pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi to be back to his destructive best at the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia. The 22-year-old was on Tuesday given the green light to join the squad after recovering from a right knee injury sustained in the first

"When it comes to Shaheen Afridi, don't look to survive. Look to score runs from him. Because the moment you look to survive, everything becomes really small. Whether it's your backlift, whether it's your footwork, and obviously, in T20 cricket you can't look to survive," Gambhir said while speaking on Star Sports show 'Game Plan'. "I know that he can be dangerous with the new ball, but again, irrespective, the Indian batters need to score more runs, get into better positions, and look to time the balls rather than to hit it. "India will be fine because India has got the quality in their top 3 or 4 who can definitely take on Shaheen Shah Afridi," the former world T20 winner added. Gambhir's former teammate and former left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan said Indian batters need to play smartly at the iconic MCG. "When you play at the MCG, the straight boundaries are not that big. It's the side boundaries that are massive. Obviously, India need to be smart, especially the batting.

Read AlsoIndia vs Pakistan, T20 World Cup: Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi to be fit for