Watch: Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill put on a fabulous opening partnership against Pakistan in the Asia Cup Super Fours today (September 10), combining for 121 runs in an explosive display.

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India against Pakistan finally got into full flow in Colombo after their group stage fixture was washed out, and India’s openers capitalised on the improved conditions. Having been put in by Pakistan, Rohit took on Shaheen Shah Afridi in the opening over. He survived five dot balls before getting off the mark with a six from a flick off his pads over the backward square-leg boundary.

Gill wasn’t far behind him. After he was kept off strike for the first two overs, only facing the one ball, he hit Shaheen for three fours in his second over. He repeated the feat in Shaheen’s next over, thrashing three boundaries – firstly back over Shaheen’s head, then through mid-off and finally past cover.

But it was when Shadab Khan came onto bowl after 69 runs had been scored off the powerplay that the run-rate really ramped up. Rohit smashed back-to-back sixes followed by a four off the last three balls of his first over. He pulled the two maximums over midwicket and into the stands, before cutting for four just behind square.

The first two balls of Shadab’s next over were given the same treatment by Rohit. The first was a full toss bludgeoned over long on for another six, the second another four through the covers. Across five deliveries, Rohit took Shadab for 26 runs.

That six took Rohit to his half-century off 42 balls, Gill having already reached his off 37. The partnership was broken two overs later, however, Shadab reaping revenge on Rohit who gave a catch to Faheem Ashraf. Gill was also out in the following over, Shadab the catcher this time and Shaheen the bowler. Their opening stand took India to 121-0 in the 17th over, and contained four sixes and 16 fours.

Watch Rohit Sharma score three consecutive boundaries off Shadab Khan below

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