Cricket News

WATCH: Rohit Sharma becomes first batter to hit six in first over to Shaheen Afridi

India openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma seem intent on making up for failures from their last game against Pakistan. The two Indian batters went after the Pakistani bowling attack to put them under pressure in the first ten overs.

Babar Azam had won the toss and chose to bowl first. The Pakistani skipper wanted to put pressure on India with the two new balls. The last time the two teams met, Shaheen Shah Afridi had got rid of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Rohit Sharma shows his class 

Pakistan opened with Shaheen Shah Afridi as he was tasked with bowling the first over. After five dot balls, it was the turn of the Indian skipper to dictate terms. Shaheen Afridi bowled the ball on the pads of Rohit Sharma.

The India skipper waited and just flicked the ball beyond over deep backward square leg for a six. With this six, Rohit Sharma became the first-ever batter to hit Shaheen Shah Afridi for a six in his first over.

Watch the video below: 

What a start from Rohit Sharma!

Opens his and team India's account with a six against Shaheen – the first batter to hit a six against Shaheen in the opening over. pic.twitter.com/Yubeqy1yNi

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 10, 2023

Shubman Gill who had comeback to form against Nepal was in no mood to let go of a good batting opportunity. The 24-year-old hit three beautifully timed boundaries in the third over of the innings. Gill did not stop as he smashed Afridi all over the park for three more fours in the 5^th over of the innings. In 3 overs Afridi had already given 31 runs.

The Indian opener Shubman Gill was the beneficiary of a lucky chance in the early part of the innings. The very first ball from Naseem Shah in the 2^nd over saw action. Naseem Shah tempted Gill with a short and wide ball. Gill went for an uppercut only to mistime the ball as it flew to third man. Shaheen Afridi though dropped the ball to give the Indian batter an early life.

Shubman Gill made full use of this chance as he raced to 41 runs from 30 balls at the end of 10 overs. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was batting well on 18 off 30 balls with 3 fours and a six. The Indian team had scored 61 for no loss from 10 overs a far cry from their bad batting display at Pallekele.