‘Ye hai Number one ODI batter’ – Fans react as Hardik Pandya bowls out Babar Azam in Super 4 match against India in Asia Cup 2023
The much-anticipated clash of super 4 between India and Pakistan has certainly been in favor of India when the Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya got the wicket of Pakistan skipper Babar Azam with a beautiful inswinger. The Pakistan skipper was bowled as he had no clue about the ball nipping so much in and rattling his stumps.
Earlier, in the game India flexed their batting muscles and scored a mammoth total of 356 runs. Pakistan began their innings cautiously, with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj exploiting the new ball’s conditions effectively. Bumrah made the first breakthrough, dismissing Imam-ul-Haq for a mere nine runs as he edged the ball to the second slip. Hardik Pandya then delivered a delivery outside off with a scrambled seam, inducing a gap between bat and pad to uproot Babar Azam’s stumps.
Mohammed Rizwan was the next batter in, but rain interrupted the game. At this point, Pakistan faces a challenging task, requiring 313 more runs in 39 overs to secure the two points, which appears to be a daunting target at the moment. Let us look at how Twitter has reacted to this terrific dismissal from Pandya:
World Number 1 Bats man (on Highways )
— తెలుగబ్బాయ్ (@GemsOfPolitcs) September 11, 2023
He only scores against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Nepal..
😅😅— نواز🇵🇸 (@NawazJ78) September 11, 2023
Best dancer from cricket – Babar Azam 😭
— User45 (@140of113) September 11, 2023
Even Puzzled Babar 😀😀
— Patel 🏹 (@Patelshyd) September 11, 2023
Great ball.. 🔥
— Liverpool FC fan (@lfc_fan_tamil) September 11, 2023
That's a game-changing moment! Hardik Pandya delivering when it matters the most to dismiss a player of Babar Azam's caliber is nothing short of spectacular. Cricket at its finest!
— 1Club (@1clubgg) September 11, 2023
Zimbabwe Babar ❤️😅😅
— Mr.Yadav (@Mr_Yadav360) September 11, 2023
Great delivery… cut right through him. Pakistan needed some humbling to be fair, fans getting too giddy about the World Cup. Might be a blessing in disguise to focus minds.
— Pythagoras In Boots ⚽️ (@pythaginboots) September 11, 2023
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul stitched a partnership of 233 runs
In a remarkable display of batting prowess, India’s Virat Kohli and KL Rahul dominated Pakistan at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Following a rain delay on the reserve day of the match, Kohli and Rahul displayed remarkable comfort at the crease. Kohli achieved his 47th ODI century and 77th overall, remaining unbeaten with a sensational 122 off 94 balls.
The legendary batter also surpassed the historic 13,000-run mark in ODI cricket. Meanwhile, a fit-again KL Rahul marked his India return with a superb unbeaten century, scoring 111 off 106 balls. Together, Kohli and Rahul forged an unbeaten partnership of 233 runs, guiding India to a record total of 356 on a batting-friendly pitch with a slow outfield in Colombo. Up next, India will face Sri Lanka in the Super Four stages of the Asia Cup 2023.
