After 16 overs,India 145/1 ( KL Rahul 68 , Rishabh Pant (W) 2)
Rashid’s final over. Can he pick up a wicket or two while India are recovering from the loss of Rohit? Dot and a single to begin, and then a big call for LBW. Pant was a long way down the pitch there. Nabi decides to back up Rashid and go for the review. No bat involved. It was pitching outside leg, no wicket. Oh, another call for LBW, and this time the finger goes up! India choose to review it! Good review, it took a nick off the gloves. No wicket, once again. Third time of asking, and Pant finally manages to make contact with the bat, he runs a single. Dot and single to end the over.
After 15 overs,India 142/1 ( KL Rahul 66 , Rishabh Pant (W) 1)
Nabi looks to Karim Janat for a breakthrough. Starts off with a short one, and it’s put away for FOUR by KL Rahul! He uses his wrists and whacks a square cut to the point boundary! Single and dot follow, and then finally, a wicket! OUT! Rohit Sharma departs and a wonderful partnership comes to an end! Sharma hits straight to covers and is caught on 74, but he’s done more than enough to set his team up for a big total. Karim Janat gets the wicket. Oh, here’s a surprise, Rishabh Pant’s come on. Over ends with two singles.
After 14 overs,India 135/0 ( KL Rahul 60 , Rohit Sharma 74)
Rashid’s third over now. He’s struggled against these two, but he can always come up with a wicket when it matters. Starts with four singles, and then Rohit hammers him for SIX over midwicket! There’s very few batters who would do that to Rashid. OH ANOTHER SIX! Rohit gets down on one knee and sends that soaring over deep square leg! Huge hit!
After 13 overs,India 119/0 ( KL Rahul 58 , Rohit Sharma 60)
A third over from Gulbadin, could he possibly provide the breakthrough that Afghanistan so desperately need? Nope, KL Rahul hits a FOUR off the first ball, and he joins his teammate in scoring a half-century! This is a typically elegant and classy knock from Rahul, and it’s his first ever 50 in a T20 World Cup! Four more singles, and then another FOUR to wrap up the over! This time Rahul pushes it to the right of short fine leg!
After 12 overs,India 107/0 ( KL Rahul 48 , Rohit Sharma 58)
Naveen’s third over now, he’s been expensive in the first two. Single, and then a FOUR! It brings up the half-century for Rohit Sharma! It’s been vintage Rohit tonight, he’s been playing with real style. This performance will do his confidence a world of good after having struggled recently. Single and then KL Rahul dispatches a hip-height delivery to deep square leg for SIX! That was so casual, effortless batting from Rahul. 100 runs up for India! Oh, wide and short, that’s lifted over short third for FOUR by Rohit! Big over this.
After 11 overs,India 91/0 ( KL Rahul 41 , Rohit Sharma 49)
Gulbadin to bowl his second over. Single and a dot to start. Oh FOUR! Rohit Sharma gets the boundary after playing it very fine, threading the gap between keeper and short third! Single and two dots to end.
After 9 overs,India 74/0 ( KL Rahul 33 , Rohit Sharma 40)
Sharafuddin to bowl, and he starts with two singles before KL Rahul picks out the gap and whacks it to the long leg boundary, that’s FOUR! Three singles to end the over.
After 8 overs,India 65/0 ( KL Rahul 26 , Rohit Sharma 38)
Alright then, the moment everyone was waiting for. Rashid Khan’s been brought in to bowl. He’s got an excellent record against Indian batters, can he take a couple of wickets and take the wind out of India’s sails? Three singles to start off. Do Rohit and Rahul just let his overs pass by, or do they try and attack? At the moment they seem to be treating him with a fair deal of caution. Oh good running from the two, they sprint their lungs off to complete a quick double. Half-hearted appeals for LBW from Rashid after the ball hits Rahul’s leg, but he’d placed his foot well wide of the stumps. Single to end the over.
After 7 overs,India 59/0 ( KL Rahul 22 , Rohit Sharma 36)
An excellent powerplay for India, 53 is not bad at all. Gulbadin to bowl now. Oh what fielding from Hazratullah at the boundary rope, he’s saved a certain boundary with a diving effort! Oof, vicious delivery from Gulbadin, bowled quick and into Rahul’s body, it rockets off his hip bone. He looks hurt, but not too badly, he can continue. Four singles to end the over.
After 6 overs,India 53/0 ( KL Rahul 18 , Rohit Sharma 34)
Hamid continues. Single, and two dots to start. There was a call for LBW on the third delivery, but only the bowler seemed convinced. He manages to get his team to take the review. No bat involved in the replay, but it was drifting well wide of the stumps. Oh, great yorker! Bowled right into the feet of Rohit, he just about manages to stop it from hitting the wickets. Oh, two more dots, great over this. Only one run from it.