Perhaps they were distracted by the uncertainty surrounding where the next stage would be held or they sub-consciously slackened because they were up against Nepal
Rohit Sharma in full flow against Nepal yesterday. Pic/AFP
For the first half, it wasn’t quite the widely anticipated walk in the park for India, abysmally below par in the field in their final Group A game of the Asia Cup. Even so, they possessed enough firepower with the bat through skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill to breeze into the Super Fours.
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Perhaps they were distracted by the uncertainty surrounding where the next stage would be held or they sub-consciously slackened because they were up against Nepal. Whatever the reason, India had a horror day in the field at the Pallekele Stadium on Monday, shelling three eminently holdable catches in the first 26 deliveries after Rohit opted to field.
Shreyas Iyer off the last delivery of the first over from Mohammed Shami—who came in for Jasprit Bumrah, away briefly on paternity leave—and Virat Kohli off the first delivery of the next from Mohammed Siraj came bearing gifts that Nepal’s openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh respectively accepted gleefully. In the fifth over, Ishan Kishan dropped Bhurtel.
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Boundaries cascaded off Bhurtel’s punishing willow with regularity, India seemingly powerless to staunch the bleeding. Bhurtel laid into the Indian bowling with gusto, dominating an opening stand of 65 when Shardul Thakur got rid of him just before the first Powerplay ended. Sheikh kicked on to make an excellent half-century and there was spunk and spirit from the middle order through Gulshan Jha, Dipendra Singh Airee and Sompal Kami, who all also benefitted from their electric running between the wickets as well as a lacklustre fielding display from the Indians. Resultantly, Nepal posted a more than respectable 230 before being bowled out in the 49th over. Around the profligacies in the field, India were well served by Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya, who made sure things didn’t get out of hand.
Rohit endured a torrid first over during India’s chase from KC Karan, twice surviving leg before shouts to balls coming in before being beaten on the outside edge, but Gill teed off with three fours in the next over from Kami. India had reached 17 without loss in 2.1 overs when a heavy downpour delayed the restart by an hour and 57 minutes. India were set a revised target of 145 in 23 overs.
Rohit was a batsman transformed on resumption, slog-sweeping leggie Sandeep Lamichhane with devastating effect and playing the pull off the front foot in style. Gill’s punches off the back foot and huge aerial drives allowed him to hold his own in a century opening stand with his captain.
Brief scores
Nepal 230 all out in 48.2 overs (A Sheikh 58, S Kami 48, K Bhurtel 38; R Jadeja 3-40, M Siraj 3-61) v India 122-0 in 16.2 overs (R Sharma 61*, S Gill 55*) (Scores incomplete)
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