IND vs PAK, 2024 T20 World Cup: The Indian team was in deep trouble after both the openers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were dismissed cheaply as Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first on Sunday. Kohli got out after scoring just four runs off three balls in Naseem Shah’s over. Pakistan had taken his wicket for the second time in a T20 World Cup. It was during the 2021 T20 World Cup when he was first dismissed by them after he scored a gritty knock of 57 runs off 49 balls. Irrespective of Sunday’s performance, he is still the highest run-scorer against Pakistan in a T20 World Cup, as he has scored 312 runs in six matches.
Kohli’s wicket came at a very crucial juncture. It was Naseem Shah who dismissed Kohli. He bowled a slow, short, and wide delivery and forced Kohli to go play a big shot. The star batter thought that Naseem would bowl a quick delivery, but he mistimed the speed and played a cut shot, and the bowl went straight towards the fielder’s hands. His wicket was a result of a lot of planning. Two balls before, Kohli had brilliantly smashed Shah for a brilliant boundary. Babar then changed the field and asked the gully fielder to stand at the point and that's how they got Kohli out.
The Babar Azam-led side’s plan to get both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli out early helped them get good results. Shaheen Afridi, who was not in his sublime form, got assistance from the pitch. Rohit, who tried to play a pickup shot, was surprised by the variations and that's how he got out. The Indian team management made a bold decision by moving Axar Patel up in the batting order in the hope, of stabilizing the innings on a tricky surface.
