India – Pakistan Super Four clash goes into reserve day
The India-Pakistan Super Four clash will go into the reserve day on September 11 (Monday) after showers and wet outfield ensured play wasn’t possible once interrupted with India on 147/2 in 24.1 overs. The game will resume from that point and will be a full 50-overs-a-side fixture on Monday. However, the weather forecast is far worse and another start-stop kind of evening is anticipated in Colombo. For about the first two hours of play though, Colombo served a hot and sweltering afternoon where Pakistan opted to bowl. Shaheen Afridi once again started a touch wayward in his lengths, bowling a lot on the leg side to both batters as Rohit Sharma flicked him for a six in the first over. Naseem Shah however, made the India captain hop and jump at the crease with exceptional lengths and getting the ball to nip both ways. On numerous occasions he beat Rohit’s bat and squared him up, but without the gratification of sending him packing. Shubman Gill meanwhile, showed far more assuredness with his feet movement, as he took on Shaheen and even Naseem who bowled a fine first spell. Gill had the rub of the green when he went chasing after a Naseem delivery that shaped away from him and nicked it, only for the ball to travel between Iftikhar Ahmed and Agha Salman at first and second slip, with neither going for the catch. Gill batted outside his crease against Afridi, and hit shots down the ground to reach a 37-ball 50. Much to Pakistan’s chagrin, Rohit too found his way out the early struggle and tormented Shadab Khan who offered successive long-hops in the 13th over. India’s batting scales slowly shifted sides as Gill began to slow down while Rohit took charge, getting to a 42-ball 50 – with his third six off Shadab. Just when it looked like India’s opening pair was set to inflict a lot more misery, both batters fell against the run of play. Rohit, who’d taken a liking to go after Shadab, went for an inside-out big hit but fell to an excellent catch from Faheem Ashraf, who covered a lot of ground running to his left from long-off. He departed for a 49-ball 56. An over later, Gill fell prey to Afridi’s slower ball and chipped it to Salman at cover, trudging off for 58 from 52 balls. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul progressed slowly from this point on, adding 24 runs in 6.2 overs before rains came along and forced the players indoors. Brief Scores: (Cricbuzz)
India 147/2 in 24.1 overs (Shubman Gill 58, Rohit Sharma 56; Shaheen Afridi 1-37) vs Pakistan
