On a surface where a total of 232 runs were scored in 40 overs, it goes without saying that batting was not the strongest suit for either of the two teams that were in action. However, Rishabh Pant, who played a solid innings against Ireland in the opening match of the tournament, was seen leading the charge for Team India amid careless hurdles.
He came out to bat in the second over of the innings and the ball was making its move from the beginning. With Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah on fire, Pant weathered the early storm and eventually found his stride.
Pant got his first boundary after almost four overs in the middle, although a bit of luck was on his side. Mohammad Amir’s fast ball was cut hard by the southpaw and the ball went away from the slip fielder’s outstretched arms.
Pulling a dead ringer of the same shot, Pant bowled another ball in the same over, sending the ball past the slip cordon as the runs started coming for the Indian wicketkeeper.
Despite some ups and downs and misses, Pant once again found his groove in the 10th over, where he raised Team India’s hopes by dismissing Harris Rauf with a hat-trick of boundaries.
The first one saw Pant park a slower ball over extra cover, while following it up with another brilliant hit to crash the ball past the fine-leg fielder to the fence. The third was a gift from Haris Rauf as he hit the fence powerfully while bowling onto Pant’s pads.
His batting performance ultimately ended when he fell against Mohammad Amir while trying to pull the ball which was stuck on the surface. However, if Pant’s stormy innings of 42 runs had not happened, the equations could have been completely different for Team India.
However, those who thought they had seen the end of Pant were in for a harsh reality check. If his performance with the bat was brilliant, his presence with the gloves was even better. His first catch of the evening was of Fakhar Zaman, where he turned backward and made a stunning catch, saving the helmet on the tip of his leg.
The next catch was of Shadab Khan and even though he made it look quite easy, he had to cover some vital yards to catch it. However, he saved the best by diving to his wrong side, dismissing the dangerous Imad Wasim on the very first ball of the last over, as a low-fizzling catch that was almost dead to him ended comfortably in his gloves,
Pant was once again one of the key members of Team India’s emphatic performance in New York, leading his team to a remarkable comeback from an almost insurmountable situation.
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