The epic Sunday clash between India and Pakistan turned out to be an absolute thriller. India turned out victorious in the end as they chased down the score of 148 set by Pakistan. While the bowling side fared well, the batting dwindled a bit as the game went all through the last over. Hardik Pandya emerged as the match winner for India as he performed seamlessly in both departments.
While the details hazed down against the cheers of victory, critics have noted that India is still lacking in some aspects. The main concern for India appears to be the performance of their top order right now. KL Rahul got out on a duck against a pacer by Naseem Shah. Rohit and Virat held the fort for quite some from there, but it turned out insufficient. Rohit’s individual score didn’t help India near the ultimate score much. However, Kohli’s score proved notable for the team, and him for his coming back to form phase.
Sunil Gavaskar speaks up on the Indian top order
35 (34) at a very crucial time
We should admit the fact that it's a good start from @imVkohli
#ViratKohli #INDvsPAK #AsiaCup2022 pic.twitter.com/Xu92qO87UF— Thyview (@Thyview) August 28, 2022
Now, legendary Indian cricketer, Sunil Gavaskar has opined on the same after the India vs Pakistan match wrap. “Rahul played just one ball, so you can’t judge anything from that. Rohit and Kohli had the opportunity to bat for some time, they got runs,” he said.
Virat Kohli enjoyed luck’s favor in his innings where he scored 35. Inside edge not hitting the stumps, catch dropped on an outside edge at the very second ball, his batting stint saw it all. And Gavaskar took note of the same. “All these earlier times when people were talking about Kohli’s form, I kept on saying that he is not having any luck. Today, he had a lot of luck, drop catches, and a lot of inside edges, which went so close to the stumps, he had the luck. But he did capitalize on it and played some very fine shots,” Gavaskar said.
“But one had expected that with the kind of start that he had, he should have got around 60-70. He got out immediately after Rohit got out. Both of them got out to forgettable shots. At that stage, those shots were not necessary as the asking rate wasn’t 19 or 20 for them to attempt sixes at that stage,” he further stated. “It was required for them to get going, get to 70-80, and then maybe go for the big shots. That should be learning from this game,” he added.
The match came down to the last over as Ravindra Jadeja anchored the chase. And as Hardik Pandya walked in, his intent made the side take the game home. Pandya’s 33 off 17 scored with unmatched confidence and a six that ensured the win, ultimately sealed India’s win over rival Pakistan.
