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Team India's top order collapsed meekly in their chase of 200 in their first match of the 2023 World Cup against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday (October 8).
It brought back flashbacks of the fateful 2019 World Cup semi-final match against New Zealand to the fans. Team India were reduced to 5/3 in that game, which was incidentally their latest match in the ODI World Cup before this game.
The Men in Blue resumed their journey in the World Cup and found themselves in an even worse situation as they were 2/3 inside two overs. Three of the top four Indian batters - Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer - got a duck against the likes of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
Fans were left disappointed after noticing Team India's top order collapse in a tricky chase against the five-time world champions. They trolled the batters through some hilarious memes on social media platforms.
Here is a collection of the best memes on the matter:
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul rescue India after top order folded quickly against Australia in 2023 World Cup
Joining hands when India were in a precarious situation at 2/3, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul absorbed the pressure well and played exceptional knocks. The duo weathered the storm by batting watchfully at the start and then steadily picked up the pace whenever the opportunity presented itself.
The duo stitched together a match-winning 165-run partnership for the fourth wicket, putting India on the brink of victory. Virat Kohli (85) got out in the end, but KL Rahul (97*) finished the match in style with a six in the 42nd over.
Reflecting on the top-order collapse after the match, Indian captain Rohit Sharma said:
"You don't want to start your innings like that. Some loose shots there but that happens. When it's a small target, you want to get off the mark and score as many runs as you can in the powerplay.
"Hats off to KL and Virat, they got us over the line. (Adapting to conditions) We're going to play on different pitches and different conditions. That is going to be the biggest challenge for us. We've been talking about it in our group and everyone needs to be prepared to contribute whenever called upon."
India will next face Afghanistan on Wednesday (October 11) in Delhi.
