Throughout the tournament, Abhishek has been in grand touch. He has been the enforcer at the top of the tree but in each of his three previous hits, he was dismissed in the 30s
India opener Abhishek Sharma after reachin his 50 against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday. Pic/Getty Images
India pride themselves on being an excellent catching side, but they put down five chances of varying degrees of difficulty on Sunday night during their six-wicket win over Pakistan here on Sunday. The tone was set in the very first over of Pakistan’s innings by Abhishek Sharma, who dropped Sahibzada Farhan off the third ball of the game, off Hardik Pandya, with the right-hander and his side yet to get off the mark.
Farhan reprieved
Farhan made the most of that reprieve to top-score with a breezy half-century, helping Pakistan post a competitive 171 for five at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium after being put in by Suryakumar Yadav. In reply India chased the target in 18.5 overs.
Abhishek, who also reprieved Farhan again later in the piece off Kuldeep Yadav, felt he owed his team a few. There is no gainsaying how Pakistan’s innings would have panned out had they lost a wicket in the first over, so the electric left-hander took it upon himself to lead India’s reply on a night when Jasprit Bumrah went for 34 in his first three overs, the most runs he has conceded in the Powerplay in all 20-over matches.
Throughout the tournament, Abhishek has been in grand touch. He has been the enforcer at the top of the tree but in each of his three previous hits, he was dismissed in the 30s. This time, he was determined to kick on; he began India’s stiff chase by hopping across his stumps and pulling the first ball, from Shaheen Shah Afridi, over fine-leg a statement six. It was the start of a grand display of batting from Abhishek and his great mate Shubman Gill, the vice-captain who didn’t have a meaningful score coming into this game.
Gill shines
Unlike in the earlier matches when he tried to hit the cover off the ball, Gill focused on timing and placement while unfurling his full repertoire, from the sweep to the delicate late cut to a reverse sweep. Abhishek matched him stroke for stroke, the boundaries flowing in torrents with Salman Agha wearing a hapless look.
Abhishek raced to his half-century in just 24 deliveries and the hundred was raised in the ninth over. Then, a break in play for Gill to receive treatment brought Pakistan two wickets in four deliveries; Faheem Ashraf, who had provided Pakistan late impetus, produced a superb delivery that cut back off the seam to rush through Gill’s gate and hit the stumps, while Suryakumar fell to Haris Rauf, caught at third-man off the leading edge.
Brief scores
Pakistan 171-5 in 20 overs (S Farhan 58; S Dube 2-33) lost to India 174-4 in 18.5 overs (A Sharma 74, S Gill 47; H Rauf 2-26) by six wickets
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