India on Sunday routed their bitter rivals Pakistan by 61 runs to qualify for the next round of the Men’s T20 World Cup in a showdown that had been in doubt until a few days ago.
Suryakumar Yadav’s side scored 175-7 after being given a flying start by Ishan Kishan’s brilliant 77, and then bowled out Pakistan for 114 in 18 overs.
The defeat for Pakistan continued their woeful record against India in World Cups.
Photo: AP
India have won eight of nine T20 World Cup meetings and all eight of their ODI World Cup encounters.
“I think this is for India,” said Suryakumar after his side followed the West Indies into the Super Eights stage. “Batting first was [the] better option on this wicket.”
Pakistan got off to the worst possible start in their chase of 176 to win, Sahibzada Farhan top-edging a slog across the line to mid-on for a duck in Hardik Pandya’s first over.
It became 6-2 when Jasprit Bumrah’s second ball trapped Saim Ayub (6) leg before wicket.
Captain Salman Agha (4) was next to go, with another mistimed slog off Bumrah’s sixth ball leaving his team in dire straits at 13-3.
When spinner Axar Patel bowled Babar Azam for 5, Pakistan were in tatters at 34-4.
Usman Khan offered some resistance, scoring 44 from 34 balls with a six and six fours, but after he charged down the pitch to Axar and Kishan stumped him, it sparked a mini-collapse to 78-7 and the game was done and dusted.
Earlier, India captain Suryakumar and his Pakistan opposite number Agha did not shake hands at the coin toss, which Agha won and elected to bowl.
The two captains did the same in their three matches at the Asia Cup in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, last year, including the final.
The off-on Group A match was only confirmed to go ahead six days previously when the Pakistan government made a U-turn on a threat to boycott the encounter.
India opening batsman Abhishek Sharma returned after a stomach bug, but lasted only four balls before falling without scoring.
Kishan was unperturbed by the loss of his partner and set about an assault on the Pakistan bowlers, bringing up his half-century off 27 balls.
He was middling the ball all round the park, so it was a major surprise when he missed a straight delivery from spinner Ayub and was bowled.
“Ishan thought outside the box,” Suryakumar said. “After we were 0-1, someone had to take responsibility and the way he took it was amazing.”
Kishan dominated the strike so much that when he departed it was with 77 runs out of India’s 88-2 after 8.4 overs to his name. He smacked three sixes and 10 fours.
“I was just keeping it simple, and watching the ball and playing with the field, maybe trying to make them run as much as they can, but yeah, I think it worked pretty well,” Kishan said.
Kishan’s departure enabled Pakistan to put the brakes on India’s batsmen and, after 14 overs, they had advanced the score only to 125-2.
Tilak Varma, on 25, became Ayub’s second victim, trapped leg before wicket and India were 126-3 when he then got Hardik caught in the deep next ball.
Shivam Dube was beaten all ends up by the hat-trick ball, but it bounced over the top of middle stump and he somehow survived.
Suryakumar made 32 off 29 balls. Dube was run out in the final over for 27.
The cricket teams of the nuclear-armed neighbors only meet in multi-nation tournaments at neutral venues as part of a compromise deal.
It has been more than 18 years since India and Pakistan last met in a Test match, and 13 years since either side crossed the border to play a bilateral international series.
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