IND Vs PAK, Innings Highlights: India Flex Batting Muscle In Asia Cup Super Four Clash Against Pakistan

IND Vs PAK, Innings Highlights: Each of the top four India batters scored at least a half-century with Virat Kohli and KL Rahul smashing a hundred.

Virat Kohli of India (L) and KL Rahul of India run between the wickets during the Asia Cup Super Four match between India and Pakistan at R. Premadasa Stadium on September 11, 2023 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

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IND Vs PAK, Innings Highlights: India posted a massive 356/2 batting first in the Asia Cup 2023 Super Fours fixture at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Monday. While Rohit Sharma (56 off 49) and Shubman Gill (58 off 52 balls) had put on a 121-run stand for the first wicket, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli took it on from there and added an unbeaten 233 runs for the second wicket off 194 balls. Both Rahul and Kohli smashed hundreds with Kohli remaining not out on 122 off 94 deliveries. Rahul, meanwhile, also stayed till the end of the innings and ended up with 111 runs from 106 balls.

While Pakistan had won the toss and invited India to bat first on Sunday (September 10), only 24.1 overs were made possible on the first day after which persistent rains made no play possible. However, with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announcing a Reserve Day for the much-anticipated encounter, the match was pushed to the extra day with no reduction in overs and Rahul and Kohli resumed India's innings from 147/2. 

The two batters took their time early on Monday but once they got their eye in, they unleased their range of strokes and they put on an unbeaten 233-run stand off 194 deliveries. It was a special innings from Rahul who was playing his first competitive match after returning from a long injury layoff. Moreover, Rahul was expected to miss this match but a last minute injury to Shreyas Iyer meant the management was forced to include Rahul in the Playing XI.

As far as Pakistan are concerned, the Men in Green only mangaed to take two wickets. Shadab Khan got the wicket of Rohit Sharma while Shaheen Shah Afridi removed Shubman Gill with a slower ball. The two batters departed in a space of 8 balls and this was the only phase of the innings that Pakistan dominated barring which it was all about India. It didn't help Pakistan's case either than Haris Rauf did not take the field on Monday as a precautionary measure due to a side strain.