New York: Team India were down and almost out. Then, they summoned strength from somewhere, got up to their feet and landed blows from which Pakistan could not get up. That confirmed their title as Kings of the World Cup ring when it came to Pakistan.
A lowly total of 119 was dismissed as non-defendable by many cricket supporters. Rohit Sharma & Co. had other ideas. They rode on brilliant bowling from Jasprit Bumrah (3/14) and timely strikes from Hardik Pandya (2/24) to restrict Babar Azam’s Pakistan to 113 for 7 in the stipulated 20 overs.
Mohammad Rizwan was the top-scorer for Pakistan with 31, followed by three unlucky 13s from Azam, Usman Khan and Fakhar Zaman while Imad Wasim got 15 in a failed chase in their T20 World Cup Group ‘A’ match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium here.
Earlier, put in to bat on a wicket where shot-making was difficult, the mighty Blues came a cropper to be all out for a paltry 119 despite some generous fielding against a disciplined bowling attack led by Naseem Shah. The right-arm pacer was right on the money, taking three wickets while conceding just 21 runs in his four overs.
Haris Rauf (3/21) and Mohammed Amir (2/23) were the other bowling stars for Pakistan. Both were on hat-tricks, in the 18th and 15th overs respectively.
At the time of this edition going to bed, Pakistan were 35 for 1 after six overs, looking in control of the chase.
Naseem put the skids under the Indian batting by dismissing the dangerous Virat Kohli, who has been Pakistan’s nemesis in the past, in the second over itself. The IPL top-scorer cut the pacer loosely to Usman Khan at cover point to depart for 4.
His opening partner Rohit Sharma tried to shake off the setback with some aggressive batting but to no avail. After hitting a six and a boundary in his 12-ball 13, the Indian captain played a flick that had fetched him a six earlier off Shaheen Afridi only to be caught by Haris Rauf at deep square leg this time.
That prompted the team management to promote Axar Patel as a pinch hitter at No. 4. The left-hander joined Rishabh Pant and put up a decent stand of 39 for the third wicket before leaping out of his crease in an attempt to nail Naseem. He missed the line and saw his stumps disturbed. Axar’s 20 came off 18 balls and included two boundaries and the only other six of the innings.
Pant was India’s top scorer with a chancy 42 that included six boundaries. The left-hander was fortunate to get away, twice, in the sixth over bowled by Amir. First, Iftikhar Ahmed at first slip couldn’t quite get close to an edge flying past him, and then Usman Khan failed to hold on to a skier while running backwards from cover. Rishabh was dropped once again, while on 17 as Usman could not get his fingers around a top edge running from deep.
Pant continued to live on the edge though, trying switch-hits that did not connect. He reversed the trend in the 10th over bowled by Haris Rauf, middling three fine shots that raced to the boundary as India stepped up to 81 for 3 at the halfway stage.
From thereon, they nosedived, only to surface to the top later.
