Twitter Reactions: India turn on the heat in Abu Dhabi to set Afghanistan 211

Rohit and Rahul added 140 for the opening wicket to lay the platform for a big finish.

By Pratyay Tiwari

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KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma
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KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images)

After a confidence-denting 10-wicket loss against Pakistan and a campaign-derailing eight-wicket downing versus New Zealand, India unfurled their A-game against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi, with openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma blasting sensational half-centuries before the finishing touches of Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant to set up a mighty 210/2.

The start was customary, with Virat Kohli losing his third toss on the trot – and 13th in the last 14 T20Is – as Mohammad Nabi took a detour from his bat-first approach and inserted India. With no Mujeeb ur Rahman available, Afghanistan were already a fine bowler short, but you would wonder if there was any bowler who could have stopped the Indian openers on the night everything they touched turned into gold.

After tinkering with their opening combination against New Zealand, when Ishan Kishan was sent alongside Rahul to counter the left-arm threat of Trent Boult, India restored the order with Rohit resuming his duties up top. The intent from the duo was clear from early on, not least because India had lost both their previous games defending.

Powerful Powerplay

Guilty of losing early wickets in the previous two games, Rohit and Rahul made up for it with a record 140-run opening stand that went on until the 15th over. The pair hardly took the foot off the accelerator, hitting some eye-catching strokes through their time in the middle on either side of the wicket.

Anything short was pulled with disdain while Rohit, much like always, bossed anything even marginally outside the off stump. He flew off the blocks with a boundary off Nabi in the opening over as the skipper bravely introduced himself against two right-handers.

Sharaffudin Ashraf, in for Asghar Afghan, who announced his international retirement with immediate effect, was taken on by Rahul, as he smashed him for a six and four through mid-on on successive deliveries after Rohit had started off against him with a boundary.

Naveen ul Haq had to bear an assault inside the powerplay too when Rohit belted him over long-off for a six and followed that with another boundary in a 17-run over as India raced to 53 in the powerplay. He would be later taken on again by Rohit.

Ravishing Rohit-Rahul march on

Hamid Hassan and Gulbadin Naib briefly shushed the duo between overs 5-8 when India could score no more than a solitary boundary, but having gotten their eyes in, India brought the momentum back, smacking 44 runs in overs 13-15.

Rohit, who brought up his fifty off 37 balls, did not spare even Rashid Khan, pummelling him for back-to-back sixes in the 14th over. Rahul notched up his fifty off 35 immediately after Rohit.

The stand was finally broken when Rohit found Nabi at extra cover off Karim Janat after scoring 74 off just 47, with eight fours and three sixes. Rashid Khan snuck in quiet over, and India lost Rahul for 69 when Naib cleaned him up. He struck six fours and two sixes in his 48-ball knock.

Pant-Pandya bash 

After the ruthless attack, all India needed was to land the death blow, which is precisely what Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya did en route to their 63-run stand in just 21 deliveries.

Pant was promoted at No. 3 and declared his intentions right at the onset, smoking Naib for two sixes in two balls in the same over he removed Rahul. Hardik took off too, with three fours against Hamid to set up the big finish.

India scored 65 runs in the last four overs thanks to Pandya’s 13-ball 35, including four boundaries and two sixes, and Pant’s 13-ball 27, with three sixes and a four. Having set 211 for Afghanistan to win, India would back themselves to romp home to a net-run-rate boosting victory.

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