Vijay Shankar was called into emergency action by India following Bhuvneshwar Kumar's injury and claimed the wicket of Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq with his first ball during their ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 group match on Sunday.
Chasing 337 for victory in the crunch World Cup clash at Old Trafford in Manchester, Pakistan were 13-0 with two balls left of the fifth over when Bhuvneshwar was forced to leave the field.
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The seamer did not seem in undue discomfort as he walked back to the changing room, with captain Virat Kohli calling on Shankar to send down the remaining deliveries in the over.
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And Shankar – selected in the side as a replacement for the injured Shikhar Dhawan – trapped Imam lbw to give India an early breakthrough.
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It was just the all-rounder's third ODI wicket in his 10th appearance, having picked up two in a match against Australia in Nagpur in March. But the moment was hijacked by Kolhi's hilarious reaction:
A subsequent announcement confirmed Bhuvneshwar was experiencing tightness in his left hamstring and would not return.
Earlier, Rohit Sharma pulverised a pedestrian Pakistan attack with a stylish hundred to lead India to a challenging 336 for five.
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Despite heavy rains and overcast conditions during past few days, the pitch had very little moisture and turned out to be a batting beauty which Rohit and the other Indian batsmen exploited to the fullest.
The Indian vice-captain scored his 24th ODI hundred - 140 off 113 balls while KL Rahul (57) played the perfect second fiddle in an opening partnership of 137 runs.
Skipper Virat Kohli switched gears effortlessly during his 77 off 65 balls and also became the quickest to 11,000 ODI runs, eclipsing a 17-year record held by iconic Sachin Tendulkar.
Mohammed Amir (3/47) pitched the ball up and maintained discipline despite a couple of official 'warnings' for running onto the pitch while Wahab Riaz (1/71) and Hasan Ali (1/84) bowled short consistently.
(With Omnisport inputs)
