Twitter Reactions: Kohli, Pant help India past 150 against hostile Pakistan

Only 24 hours after a batting powerhouse – West Indies – fell like a pack of cards in Dubai against England, India had their hearts in the mouth with a collapse staring them in the eyes against Pakistan, as they lost three of their big guns in no time courtesy of a hostile spell from Shaheen Afridi. 

Crucial knocks from Virat Kohli, who stood tall in the face of adversity and scored a fighting half-century, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja lower in the order, however, ensured that India managed to cross the 150-run mark to give their bowlers a decent score to fight.

Shaheen strikes

After being put in, India were jolted by Afridi’s express pace and deadly swing upfront, as Rohit Sharma was rapped plumb on the pads with a searing inswinger in the opening over. Even before India could have figured out a way of recovery, in-form KL Rahul was cleaned up in Afridi’s next as he failed to put bat behind another fuller inswinger that rattled the stumps. 

In at No.3, Suryakumar Yadav got himself up and running quickly, with a typical wristy pull over deep square in the same over that Rahul departed, while Kohli swatted one down the ground off Afridi’s next to up the scoring, although Yadav became the third powerplay wicket for Pakistan as be edged Hasan Ali behind before Mohammad Rizwan completed a brilliant diving catch. 

Pant, Kohli, Jadeja steady India’s ship

India’s recovery was scripted by a half-century partnership between Rishabh Pant and Kohli, who added 53 off 40 for the fourth wicket to stage a comeback. The Pakistan bowlers did not make run-scoring easy but the duo ensured to rotate strike cautiously apart from managing the odd boundaries in between. 

Pant took the attack to Ali in the 12th over, to smash a couple of his trademark one-handed sixes off successive deliveries as Kohli continued to anchor from the other end. Although, he skied Shadab Khan in the immediately following over to be caught by the bowler himself for 39 off 30, with two fours and as many sixes. 

Following Pant’s exit, Kohli pressed the accelerator, also notching up his 10th half-century in the 20-over ICC event, while adding 41 with Ravindra Jadeja, who holed out to deep-midwicket off Hasan Ali (2/44) in the 18th over after a run-a-ball 13. 

Shaheen returns

Having expressed his desire to claim the top three wickets of India, Afridi (3/31) returned in the death to claim the prized scalp of Kohli, who was dismissed for the first time against Pakistan in a T20 World Cup. Having hit five fours and a six in his 49-ball 57, Kohli was undone off a slower one that was dug in short by Afridi that he edged to the keeper. 

In the same over, Afridi’s attempt to run Hardik Pandya out cost Pakistan four overthrows. Pandya, who struck a couple of fours in his 11-run knock, could not unfurl his finishing beast and perished in the final over of Haris Rauf (1/25) before India finished 151/7.

Here’s how Twitter reacted: