After a rain-affected opening day at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, the weather cleared just in time for the toss the following morning.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma decided to bat first under overcast skies, but the decision backfired as the Kiwis took full advantage of the pace-friendly conditions, quickly dismissing Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Sarfaraz Khan before the drinks break.
With India struggling at 10/3, Rishabh Pant chose to adopt a bold strategy that surprised everyone. On just his second delivery, Pant clipped a length ball towards long leg for a couple of runs, getting off the mark before facing four consecutive dot balls.
Looking for scoring opportunities in challenging batting conditions, the southpaw attempted a reverse sweep on the fifth ball of the eleventh over from Matt Henry.
— alex (@AlexHivklzzyh) October 17, 2024
However, he mishit the stroke, and the ball lobbed off the top edge, sailing beyond the wicketkeeper for a single. What caught the attention of many on Twitter was Pant’s fearless approach, taking risks despite his team’s struggles.