Gill, Rohit depart after after explosive start

Star Sports Report

Sun Sep 10, 2023 05:13 PM Last update on: Sun Sep 10, 2023 05:17 PM

India openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma departed in consecutive overs after giving their side a splendid start that saw the duo put on a 121-run opening stand in quick time against archrivals Pakistan in their Asia Cup Super Four encounter at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday.

While both the batters reached their fifties, Shubhman Gill was the initial aggressor, putting away 10 fours for his 52-ball 58 but Rohit caught up soon and smashed six fours and four sixes as he scored a 49-ball 58.

The openers managed to unsettle speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi as they took him for 33 runs in his opening spell of four overs but pacer Naseem Shah was able to trouble both the batters but was unlucky not to have picked up Gill early.

Rohit was the first to depart in the 17th over when he tried to take on leg-spinner Shadab Khan over long-off. The India skipper played a half-hearted shot which ended up in the hands of Faheem Ashraf at long-off.

One brought two as Rohit’s partner Gill was dismissed in the very next over. Gill got deceived by Shaheen’s slower ball, a leg-cutter,as he got through the cover drive early and could only chip it to Shadab at cover.