Watch: India openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill put on a display of attacking batting in the Super Fours game against Pakistan, stitching a 121-run opening partnership in less than 17 overs before rain suspended play in Colombo on September 10.
After losing the toss, Rohit batted first and hit Shaheen Shah Afridi for a six in one over, giving India a perfect start for the first time in their ODI career. p>
Shaheen’s new ball partner Naseem Shah latched the ball onto the strings at the other end as he forced Rohit and Gill into a corner. However, Gill went on a rampage against Afridi and in two overs he hit his six fours.
After playing and missing most of Naseem’s openers, Rohit picked up his game towards the end of the powerplay, hitting two fours in one over.
Gill was dismissed in the eighth over after his outside edge went over the slip barrier, but he scored his first fifty off just 37 deliveries in 13 matches against Pakistan.
Shadab Khan came to attack in the 13th over but Rohit despised him. He smashed three sixes and two fours in his first five balls against Shadab and in the 15th over he reached his fifty in 42 balls.
But it was Shadab who had the last laugh, breaking a 121-run opening partnership by forcing Rohit to chip over long in the 17th over. The 11 ODI innings in which both sides batted together marked the beginning of their partnership, which included four centuries.
They currently have the highest opening partner average of 96.60 among any pair who opened more than 10 times in the history of ODI cricket.
Watch Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill put on a century opening partnership against Pakistan:
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