After Rohit Sharma’s early departure in the second T20I on Wednesday, Twitterati were unrelenting in mocking the ‘hitman’.
“Gone On Duck, Golden Duck. Rohit Sharma Is Back In Form. 😂💪🇮🇳 #IndvSA #INDvsSA #SAvIND #SAvsIND,” wrote a cricket fan on Twitter.
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“Rohit Sharma is back to his best….His golden duck yet again proves that his talent is as rare as Aalia Bhat’s mind. #INDvsSA,” reacted another micro-blogging site user.
After losing the first T20 International (T20I) against India by 28 runs, the South African cricket team led by JP Duminy bounced back in the second match and leveled the three-match series by 1-1.
Riding on Heinrich Klaasen and Jean-Paul Duminy’s half-ton, Proteas team defeated visitors by 6 wickets at the SuperSport Park Centurion.
Asked to bat first, India lost some early wickets in Rohit Sharma. Just in the second over of the match, the ‘hitman’ was sent back to the pavilion by Junior Dala for zero.
After getting out for a duck, Rohit Sharma also registered an unwanted record in his name. Now, he has the maximum number (4) of ducks to his name in T20Is from the Indian camp.
Following Sharma’s departure, Suresh Raina joined Shikhar Dhawan at the crease.
After that Raina and Dhawan kept the Indians on track with a 43-run partnership.
That prompted South African captain Jean-Paul Duminy to come into the attack and the off-spinner had an immediate impact as Dhawan hit his second delivery into the hands of Farhaan Behardien at mid-on.
Dhawan was in good touch, scoring 24 runs off 14 balls with three boundaries and two sixes.
Dala removed Virat Kohli in the next over, outfoxing the Indian skipper with some extra bounce as overjoyed wicket-keeper Heinrich Klaasen latched on to the outside edge.
The momentum, however, stayed with the Indians as Raina and Manish Pandey added 45 runs between them in the next five overs.
Fast bowler Andile Phehlukwayo broke the crucial partnership when he trapped Raina leg before. Raina’s 24-ball knock produced 30 runs which included five hits to the fence.
That was the last bit of celebration the hosts would eventually manage as Pandey and Dhoni virtually tore the Proteas’ bowling apart.
