Asia Cup 2023: Hardik Pandya skittles helpless Babar Azam with a pearler

As Day 1 of the Super Fours stage of the India-Pakistan game in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 turned Day 2, India set Pakistan a mammoth 357-run target. Pakistan started off in a very conservative manner as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj made the new ball talk. Bumrah drew first blood as he nicked off Imam-ul-Haq to second slip for just nine. 

Pakistan's skipper Babar Azam walked in to bat with Pakistan in a slight bit of bother. India's brilliant bowling added pressure, but Babar tried to cut loose with a few boundaries. Rohit Sharma introduced India all-rounder Hardik Pandya into the attack, and it just took him four balls to get his first breakthrough. 

Hardik bowled it on a good length outside off with a scrambled seam that nipped back in to open up a gap between bat and pad to break Babar's sticks. Mohammed Rizwan came into bat at four before the rain interrupted proceedings. Pakistan need 313 more runs in 39 overs to claim all two points, which seems like a big mountain to climb at the moment. 

Virat Kohli, KL Rahul steal the show in Colombo

India's KL Rahul and Virat Kohli put on a scintillating show as the duo made Pakistan dance to their beat at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Kohli and Rahul looked comfortable in the middle after play resumed on the reserve day of the clash. 

Virat Kohli got to his 47th ODI hundred and 77th overall, scoring an unbeaten 122 off 94. He also breached the legendary 13,000 ODI runs mark to etch his name on the history books. A fit-again KL Rahul, on the other hand, scored an unbeaten 111 off 106 on his India return after a long injury rehab. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul put on an unbeaten 233-run partnership to take India to a record total of 356 on a batting-friendly surface but a slow outfield in Colombo.