Twitter goes ballistic as India punishes Pakistan bowlers in Champions Trophy

India faced off Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham for the fourth time in Champions Trophy and the patient spectators were treated to delight from the Indian batsmen. The match was infested with rain as the match paused twice during the first innings of the innings.

Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma started the innings off to a perfect start with their mammoth partnership of 136 runs in 148 balls. Shikhar Dhawan displayed why he’s the big tournament player. His fairy-tale relationship with Champions Trophy continued as he scored a brisk inning of 68 off just 65 balls smashing six boundaries and a maximum. He was hitting the ball at a strike rate of 104.

Rohit Sharma played a kind of circumspect innings towards the later half of his innings, but played the role of a sheath anchor with his 91, scoring seven boundaries and two sixes. However, the stars of the innings were Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and Hardik Pandya who exhibited their stroke-making, providing the impetus at the death.

Virat Kohli announced his presence in the Champions Trophy with a brilliant 81 off just 68 balls. hitting the balls as sweetly as ever. He smashed six fours and three sixes in the process, at a strike rate of almost 120. Yuvraj Singh scored a 28-ball half-century and ended up with 53 runs at a whopping strike rate of 166.

The final flourish was provided by India’s answer to Ben Stokes, Hardik Pandya. He smashed Imad Wasim for three consecutive sixes in the 48th and the last over of the innings. Pandya played a memorable cameo of 20 runs in just six balls at a strike rate of 333.

Before Wahab Riaz hobbled off the pitch in pain, he was taken for plenty by the Indians. At an economy of 10 runs per over, Riaz gave away as many 87 runs in his 8.4 overs. Imad Wasim and Hasan Ali also proved to be expensive as India posted a total of 319 at the end of 48 overs. Pakistan has a task on their hands to chase down a target of 324 runs by Duckworth-Lewis Method

Here’s a look at how Twitter reacted to the Indian onslaught