Twitter Reactions: Dominant Pakistan thrash Hong Kong to set-up meeting with India in Super Four

Pakistan will now face arch-rivals India on Sunday in their first fixture of Super Four.

By Vaishnavi Thiagarajan Iyer

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4 Min Read

Pakistan Team
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Pakistan Team (Photo Source: Twitter/PCB)

While the game was anticipated to be a competitive contest, it turned out to be a one-sided affair as Pakistan were dominant throughout the game. After posting a huge total, the Men in Green dished out Hong Kong for mere 38 runs and secured themselves a place in the Super Four, thereby confirming another clash against arch-rivals India.

Pakistan suffered an early blow when skipper Babar Azam was taken down for a low score, by Ehsan Khan. The batter chipped the ball back to Ehsan, who caught it perfectly to send the opposition skipper walking back. But then, Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman batted for a sufficient amount of time to provide Pakistan with the ideal foundation in the final stages.

The running was occasionally unsure, Fakhar's timing wasn't great at first, and Rizwan needed some time to get underway, but once the two batters were settled in and understood the situation, the Hong Kong bowlers had very little control. After struggling against Hong Kong's slow bowlers for the majority of his innings, Fakhar was just beginning to enjoy himself after hitting some big shots but Ehsan Khan struck again and sent him back.

But Pakistan’s momentum was high. Khushdil Shah was sent up the order, and he put up a brilliant show on display. He was cautious during his first few deliveries, but once the pacers started frequently landing the ball in the slot, he relaxed and didn't give Rizwan much room to move. As a result, Pakistan ended up scoring a whopping total of 193/2.

The last over of the first innings was a treat for the eyes as Khushdil Shah made six-hitting look like a cakewalk. Having scored no runs on the first two deliveries, he went on to hit four humongous sixes on the next four legal deliveries and the bowler Aizaz Khan ended up a wide which went for a boundary. 29 runs came off the final over as Pakistan ended on a high, and almost confirmed themselves a win.

Pakistan bowlers storm through Hong Kong's batting unit

Hong Kong’s chase was a nightmare for the batters and a jolly outing for the Pakistani bowlers. Naseem Shah continued in the side even after suffering from cramps in the previous game against India and took charge from the very first over. After a brilliant first over, he went on to pick up two wickets in his next, the third over, in the form of Nizakat Khan and Babar Hayat.

Before the end of the powerplay, Shahnawaz Dahani dismissed Yasim Murtaza as Hong Kong ended their powerplay on a low note, scoring just 25 runs at the loss of three wickets. Mohammad Nawaz came into the attack for the eighth over and scalped two wickets in three deliveries. Hong Kong’s batting lineup came crashing down and wickets fell like dominos thereon.

They lost eight wickets within 10 overs of their chase, scoring mere 38 runs. There were no hopes, as even a miracle could not have saved them from the Men in green. Pakistan bowlers did not take much time to pick up the final two wickets as they bundled out Hong Kong for a poor score of 38/10. While Shadab Khan added four wickets under his belt, Mohammad Nawaz finished with three scalps as Pakistan made their way into the Super Four.

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