A strong batting performance and a steady show from the bowlers saw India maintain their unbeaten status in World Cups against Pakistan in their first match of the ICC World T20 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.
After the bowlers restricted Pakistan to 130/7, two massive partnerships – one between Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, and the other between Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina – helped them win by seven wickets with an over and a half to spare.
Openers Rohit Sharma (24) and Shikhar Dhawan (30) started slow and did not hit a boundary for the first three overs. Then Rohit cut loose, tonking Junaid Khan for a six and a four in the fourth over that cost 12 runs.
The next over, Dhawan gave Saeed Ajmal a warm welcome, hitting him for four boundaries in a row. The carnage continued, taking the partnership to 54.
Veteran campaigner Umar Gul finally got the breakthrough. Dhawan misjudged a shorter delivery. couldn’t get under it properly and gave a simple catch to Saeed Ajmal at fine leg.
Next, Saeed Ajmal proved why he is one of Pakistan’s most potent weapons by castling a dangerous looking Rohit Sharma in the tenth over. Rohit was looking to cut Ajmal but there was far more turn than he had anticipated.
The next over, Bilawal Bhatti started his spell with a stunner of a delivery. A full and tight deliver that landed around middle stump and swerved towards the off left Yuvraj Singh beaten completely and his off stump on the ground. The soutghpaw’s bad form continued as he returned to the hut for one.
With India on the edge of a collapse, Virat Kohli (36*) and Suresh Raina (35*) came to the crease. The two played absolutely fearless cricket. They danced down the pitch to haul the spinners to the boundary and mixed big shots with patient strokes for short runs.
Pakistan Skipper Mohammed Hafeez tried everything but couldn’t separate the two, their stand remaining unbeaten at 66.
In the earlier session, an impressive show put up by Indian bowlers topped with Amit Mishra’s 2/22 helped the Men in Blue restrict Pakistan to 130 for eight.
Opener Kamran Akmal (8) started aggressively, hitting a four each off R Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar before he ran himself out in the second over. There was no communication what so ever between him and partner Ahmed Shehzad (22).
Shehzad was then joined by skipper Mohammad Hafeez (15). The two put up 35 runs for the second wicket.
Ravindra Jadeja broke the partnership in his first over of the match. Hafeez was done in by the extra bounce on the track and skied it. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took a sharp catch at deep cover.
Next over, Amit Mishra struck. Shehzad tried to give him the charge, but missed the line. Dhoni claimed an easy stumping.
With the team in a spot, Umar Akmal and Shoaib Malik steadied the boat. The fourth-wicket partnership of 50 runs between Akmal (33) and Malik (18) got the team to 100/4 in 16 overs. The two went for the big shots, but what hurt India the most were the short runs the two plundered.
There was a chance to break the partnership in the fifteenth over, Ashwin’s last. Malik had skied it towards mid-wicket, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar couldn’t reach there in time.
Amit Mishra finally came good for India in the sixteenth over. Malik tried to hit him for a six, but ended up holeing out to Suresh Raina at long-off.
In the eighteenth over, Shami prevented a late comeback by removing Akmal, whose edge went to the safe hands of Raina at long-off.
Hopes of fireworks from Shahid Afridi were also dashed as the flamboyant all-rounder fell to Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 8, with Raina lapping up his third catch of the day.
Some lusty hitting from Sohaib Maqsood got Pakistan to a respectable total.
