The top game, against the top rivals and the top players against each other. Great start by Pakistan, Shaheen with the early breakthroughs, Pakistan got their nerves and hold on the game from the start. Pakistan’s strike bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi on his fourth ball of the match, balls a Yorker length to Rohit Sharma, the Indian top order batsman. The direction on this and the pace on it have given Rohit no chance. He’s hurriedly getting the front leg out of the way as it curves in late. He’s caught in front of middle stump on his back leg.
On start of his 2nd over, Shaheen balls a good length, shaped in from off stump. Rahul leans in and closes the face on it to try and play with the angle into him. He missed and this has gone off the thigh and into the stumps. Fully cramped and playing across the line and bear the result.
Hasan Ali, than trapped SuryaKumar, Lovely grab by Rizwan! Banged in at a length slightly off, lands on the seam and straightens just a bit as SKY. Surya gets down the pitch to try and punch it on the rise. That bit of straightening has done him outside off and this is a big deflection off the outside edge. Rizwan does really well to track this to his right and hold on, that was a touch wider than a first slip would have been but excellent grab by Pakistani Wicketkeeper.
After Sumya, Rishabh Pant joins his skipper, and partnership between them well built on time. In their 53 runs partnership, Pant takes the charge in the 12th over and scored 15 runs against Hasan Ali. But in the very next over, Shadab trapped successfully the in form Pant and after that Indian batsman were completely on the back foot.
Virat Kohli played the captain’s knock and scored and handsome half century which helped India to past 150 mark at the end of the 20th over.
