Like fireflies dancing on a surreal night, fans held aloft their cellphones, switched on the torchlights and swayed. The surreal moment at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14, summed up the state of the much-anticipated World Cup match between India and Pakistan.
Rohit Sharma’s men were on the ascendant and stayed that way right through with the skipper leading from the front. Chasing Pakistan’s 191, India scored 192 for three in 30.3 overs and registered a seven-wicket victory. The Men in Blue found their batting and bowling arms in sync, and Pakistan capitulated.
After the innings-break, India galloped with a string of fours that had poetry and panache as their sub-text thanks to Rohit and Shubman Gill. Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali were dealt with ease before the former induced a soft dismissal. Gill slashed hard and found the fielder. Having whipped the first ball he faced for four, Rohit was unfettered and with Virat Kohli for company, he lofted with that flick of his wrists enabling him to pick his spots.
The opener hoisted spinner Mohammad Nawaz and toyed with seamer Haris Rauf. At the other end when Afridi came around the wicket, Kohli punched him for four. And then against the run of play, Kohli miscued a pull off Hasan. India 79 for two in 9.5 overs but Rohit found an immediate ally in Shreyas Iyer.
The skipper continued his languid and lethal ways, depositing Rauf into the stands while Shreyas tucked into the spinners. The two shared a vital 77-run partnership when Rohit (86, 63b, 6x4, 6x6) failed to clear the in-field against Afridi. India already had one foot on the victor’s podium, and the other foot was placed once Shreyas (53 n.o.) and K.L. Rahul hunted down the remainder of the target.
Earlier in the afternoon, Rohit won the toss, elected to field and in a while a lakh of followers sang along as the national anthem was played. Soon it became ‘Bum-Rah, Bum-Rah’ while the fast bowler steamed in. On a pitch as smooth as the highways criss-crossing Gujarat’s flat lands, Jasprit Bumrah was the super car purring away.
He tested the openers while Mohammed Siraj initially erred in his line and length and southpaw Imam-ul-Haq hit three fours. Meanwhile, Abdullah Shafique drove a few before Siraj ruffled the batter’s pads. The stadium erupted but skipper Babar Azam quickly bequeathed silence as he pulled Hardik Pandya.
Imam too played a few delectable shots against Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik before the all-rounder lured an edge. Babar, all oriental aesthetics, and Mohammad Rizwan, all street-fighter swag, then combined well and survived tense lbw appeals. Babar drove, Rizwan swept and they added 82 for the third wicket.
The script inexorably changed when Babar (50) tried to glide Siraj towards third man and got castled. Kuldeep scalped Saud Shakeel and Iftikhar Ahmed in the same over and two special deliveries from Bumrah, dismantled Rizwan (49) and Shadab Khan’s stumps. Pakistan lost eight wickets for a mere 36 and India found its springboard to leap.
Home Minister Amit Shah congratulates Team India
Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the Indian cricket team for its victory over Pakistan in the ODI World Cup match. He said the team has shown how much pride seamless teamwork with a common goal can achieve for the nation.
India beat Pakistan by seven wickets in a World Cup clash in Ahmedabad.
“Tiranga flying high. A big round of applause for our cricket team for this stupendous victory. The team continues its winning streak against Pakistan in the ODI World Cup.
“You all have shown how much pride seamless teamwork with a common goal can achieve for our nation. My best wishes on your unrelenting march toward winning the World Cup 2023,” Shah wrote on ‘X’.
Mr. Shah also watched the match at the stadium with his family members.
With this win, the hosts registered their third victory in as many outings in the tournament, while Pakistan suffered their first defeat after winning two matches.
It was also India’s eighth successive win over Pakistan in World Cups dating back to 1992.
Indian bowlers fired in unison to dismiss Pakistan for 191. Then, India chased down target in 30.3 overs at a packed Narendra Modi Stadium
Scoreboard
Pakistan innings: Abdullah Shafique lbw b Siraj 20 Imam-ul-Haq c Rahul b Hardik Pandya 36 Babar Azam b Siraj 50 Mohammad Rizwan b Bumrah 49 Saud Shakeel lbw b Kuldeep Yadav 6 Iftikhar Ahmed b Kuldeep Yadav 4 Shadab Khan b Bumrah 2 Mohammad Nawaz c Bumrah b Hardik Pandya 4 Hasan Ali c Shubman Gill b Ravindra Jadeja 12 Shaheen Afridi not out 2 Haris Rauf lbw b Ravindra Jadeja 2 Extras: (b-1, lb-2, w-1) 4
Total: 191 all out in 42.5 overs
Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-73, 3-155, 4-162, 5-166, 6-168, 7-171, 8-187, 9-187
Indian bowling: Jasprit Bumrah 7-1-19-2, Mohammed Siraj 8-0-50-2, Hardik Pandya 6-0-34-2, Kuldeep Yadav 10-0-35-2, Ravindra Jadeja 9.5-0-38-2, Shardul Thakur 2-0-12-0.
India innings: Rohit Sharma c Iftikhar Ahmed b Shaheen Afridi 86 Shubman Gill c Shadab Khan b Shaheen Afridi 16 Virat Kohli c Mohammad Nawaz b Hasan Ali 16 Shreyas Iyer not out 53 KL Rahul not out 19 Extras: (b 0, lb 1, w 1, nb 0, p 0) 2
Total 192 for 3 in 30.3 overs
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-79, 3-156
Pakistan bowling: Shaheen Afridi 6-0-36-2, Hasan Ali 6-0-34-1, Mohammad Nawaz 8.3-0-47-0, Haris Rauf 6-0-43-0, Shadab Khan 4-0-31-0.
Player of the Match: Jasprit Bumrah
Teams:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf.
(With inputs from PTI)
