For more than four years, cricket fans have been eagerly awaiting the resurgence of an ODI showdown between arch-rivals India and Pakistan. With their highly anticipated clash in the ongoing Asia Cup, the excitement surrounding the event is palpable. In the absence of ODI encounters, both teams have engaged in four gripping T20 matches against each other, where the scoreboard reflects an even split of victories. Beyond the customary feelings of national pride and rivalry, these encounters have evolved into a showcase of exceptional cricketing prowess. It’s not just about animosity; it’s about a riveting cricketing battle where multifaceted skillsets will be put to the test on the day of the match.

Under overcast conditions, India won the toss and opted to bat, a choice that initially appeared to be a misjudgment as the Pakistani pacers exploited the favorable conditions, extracting significant movement from the ball. Within the initial 15 overs, they claimed the first four wickets of the Indian side, placing the onus on the middle and lower-middle order to salvage the innings.

At a juncture when the outlook seemed rather bleak for India, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya intervened, weaving together a magnificent partnership worth 138 runs through sensible shot selection. While their valiant efforts saw them fall just short of centuries, the Indian lower order struggled to make substantial contributions, with the exception of Bumrah’s spirited cameo, which propelled the team’s total to 266.

But the rains unfortunately played a spoil sport and the match had to be halted with just an innings of play. In this article, we will delve into the various shots that Kishan and Pandya manufactured throughout their responsible partnership.

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Ishan Kishan’s sparkling knock

Kishan has always been known to be an aggressive batter, irrespective of the format he plays in. There was a lot of pressure hovering over him as he had to adjust to his newfound position at number 5. With India being 4 down within 15 overs, Kishan had to down shift from his usual aggressive nature and play according to the situation, which he performed wonderfully.

Without focusing much on his innovative stroke play, he shifted it to a textbook style of cricket, with a majority of his runs coming from the front foot drive (28.05%). He was also quite fluent in adjusting to the short delivery and accounted for close to 25 percent of his runs via the back foot pull shot.

Once he had settled down, he started taking on the spinners with some eye pleasing lofted drives and also showed prowess in the cut shots (15% of the runs). There were many instances where the aggression within him could have taken control, but he maintained a calm composure. When the bowlers where pitch hard lengths, he focused more on the back foot drives (14% of the runs), rather than wild slogs and slashes.

Hardik Pandya’s fitting reply

Hardik Pandya has seen a remarkable resurgence in his bowling abilities, showcasing improved pace and the ability to generate movement in recent times. However, his batting performance had been subpar for a considerable period. An innings like the one against Pakistan had been anticipated for a while, and he executed it flawlessly. In this particular match, he adopted a more traditional cricketing approach, adapting to the situation, and impressively accumulated nearly 26 percent of his runs through front-foot drives and 17 percent through front-foot pushes.

He has also been a genuinely good player of the cut shot and it was no different this innings either, scoring close to 17 percent of his runs with the back foot cut. He largely relied on grounded strokes and always focused on putting away the bad deliveries. While he was unable to reach his maiden ODI century, his astounding knock provided a optimistic sign for team India ahead of the tournament.