They are the new brothers of destruction. Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill showed Pakistan that aggressive face of Team India in the Asia Cup Super Four that had been missing for quite some time.
The war of words and aggression is what makes this rivalry so intense. And after a long, long time, it finally felt like the India-Pakistan clash we all grew up watching.
But one thing still didn't change - the one-sided contests. Yes, Pakistan did put up a decent total on the board this time around, but the Indian openers dismantled their bowling attack so thoroughly that the match still felt completely one-sided.
Pakistan's cheap tactics
Pakistan also stooped to cheap tactics - whether it was Haris Rauf's 6-0 gesture during practice, or Sahibzada Farhan’s AK-47-style celebration, which we all know was a mockery aimed at something very specific.
And how did Abhishek Sharma celebrate his fiery fifty? No cheap gestures, just a clear statement: there’s a difference between us and them, and that difference should always remain.
Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf tried hard to rattle Gill and Abhishek, but both Punjabis gave them a proper thrashing - no mercy. In fact, Abhishek became the first Indian to hit a six on the first ball twice in T20Is. He literally turned the lights off right at the start and went on to smash a 39-ball-74. In the end, India won by 6 wickets with 7 balls to spare.
And to Pakistan - don’t forget, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are retired. And this Indian team now carries Gautam Gambhir’s stamp of aggressive and unrelenting.
Abhishek on Pakistan's Sledging
After being judged as the player of the match, Abhishek reflected on the battle and said, 'Today it was very simple, the way they were coming at us, I didn't like it at all and this is the only way I could give medicine to them.'
The Indian opener added that he has been playing with Shubman Gill since his school days and he was waiting for a partnership like this with him for a long while. He feels its important for the team that he plays the way he plays and he's able to play in such an aggressive manner because the team has been supporting him to play that way knowing it is high risk.
Also watch: Brothers of Destruction - Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill school Pakistan
