In a thrilling Asia Super 4 clash, India's captain Rohit Sharma silenced all the pre-match speculations regarding his performance against Pakistan's fast bowlers by scoring a scintillating half-century.
Although persistent rain forced the match to extend into a reserve day, Rohit had already made a significant impact on the high-stakes contest. As he surpassed the 50-run mark, he achieved a remarkable milestone by breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most half-centuries scored by an Indian in the ODI format of the Asia Cup.
Rohit's brilliant 56-run innings from just 49 balls marked his eighth half-century in Asia Cup ODIs. In contrast, Tendulkar had notched up seven fifties in this continental tournament, in the 50-over format. This achievement now ties Rohit with former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara for the top spot in this particular record category.
In terms of the most 50+ scores, Rohit currently stands third, sharing the position with Tendulkar and Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya. Each of them boasts an impressive tally of nine 50+ scores in their Asia Cup ODI careers. The leader in this category remains Kumar Sangakkara, with an outstanding 12 50+ scores throughout his career.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri showered praise on Rohit for his masterful approach in neutralising the threat posed by Pakistan's pacers.
"There was a 10-ball phase from Naseem Shah at the start that beat him. He was trying to lay bat on ball but he could not. He went through that period and every time he got an opportunity today with anything remotely loose, he hit it over the boundary or to the boundary," Shastri told Star Sports
"Rohit did not miss out on a single lose ball today, which showed that in spite of that good spell from the bowlers, the intent was that 'anything lose, I'm going to hit it for a boundary or six'," Shastri added.
Despite the rain interruption, India has set an imposing target of 357 runs for Pakistan in the Super 4 match of the Asia Cup.
Pakistan's captain Babar Azam opted to bowl first but India's opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill laid a strong foundation with a partnership worth 121 runs before their rapid dismissals. The match's excitement continued as it progresses into the reserve day, with fans eagerly anticipating the outcome of this high-profile contest.
Despite the adverse weather conditions, Pakistan's bowlers were unable to make any inroads on the reserve day as India's seasoned campaigners, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, stole the limelight with respective centuries. The pair amassed an incredible 233-run partnership, with Kohli remaining unbeaten on 122, while Rahul notched up 111*.
- Rohit Sharma
