India’s opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill delivered a performance reminiscent of legendary batters Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar, becoming only the third pair in Champions Trophy history to register a 100-plus opening stand in the tournament’s final. Their partnership provided India with a strong start in the high-stakes match against New Zealand at a packed stadium in Dubai on Sunday.
Chasing a competitive total of 251/7 set by New Zealand, Rohit and Gill came out with intent, setting the tempo early in the innings. Rohit took an aggressive approach, while Gill balanced his game with a mix of attacking and defensive strokes. Together, they built a 105-run opening stand, placing them among an exclusive list of opening duos in Champions Trophy finals.
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The first such achievement was recorded in the 2000 Champions Trophy final when Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar stitched together a 141-run opening partnership against New Zealand in Nairobi. Nearly two decades later, Pakistan’s Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman replicated the feat in the 2017 final, adding 128 runs for the first wicket against India at The Oval.
New Zealand’s captain, Mitchell Santner, played a crucial role in breaking the Rohit-Gill stand. Gill was dismissed for 31 off 50 balls when Glenn Phillips pulled off a remarkable one-handed catch to give Santner the breakthrough. With Gill gone, India’s scoring rate slowed, and wickets started falling at regular intervals.
Amidst the pressure, Rohit took charge, anchoring the innings and ensuring that India remained in the hunt. However, just when he looked set for a big score, he perished while trying to accelerate. Stepping out against Rachin Ravindra, Rohit misjudged the delivery, missed his shot completely, and was stumped after a well-compiled 76 off 83 balls. His innings, decorated with seven boundaries and three sixes, laid the foundation for India’s chase, keeping them in contention for the prestigious title.
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