The highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup, usually a theater for high-octane drama, turned into a one-sided affair in Colombo.
India dominated from start to finish, leaving Pakistan with no room to breathe and officially securing their spot in the Super Eight.
After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, India posted a competitive 175 for 7. In response, Pakistan’s batting lineup crumbled, folding for a mere 114 runs in just 18 overs.
Notably, Pakistan utilized six different spinners during the match—a T20 World Cup record and a joint-record in all T20 Internationals.
Pakistan’s Batting Collapse
Chasing a target of 176, Pakistan’s innings was in shambles from the outset. They lost three wickets within the first two overs, effectively ending the contest before it truly began.
- Top Order Failure: Opener Sahibzada Farhan fell for a duck, Saim Ayub managed only 6, and Captain Salman Ali Agha was dismissed for 4.
- Star Struggles: Under-fire batter Babar Azam failed to steady the ship, departing for just 5 runs off seven balls.
- Lone Resistance: Usman Khan offered the only significant fight, scoring a top-rated 44 off 34 balls, while Shaheen Shah Afridi remained unbeaten at the end with 23 off 19.
Clinical Indian Bowling
The Indian bowling attack operated like a well-oiled machine. Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy each claimed two wickets, dismantling the Pakistani lineup. Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak Varma chipped in with one wicket apiece, with Rinku Singh being the only bowler to go wicketless.
Ishan Kishan’s Explosive Knock
Earlier in the day, India faced an early setback when Abhishek Sharma, returning from illness, was dismissed after facing just three balls.
However, Ishan Kishan took charge immediately. His aggressive approach propelled India to 52 for 1 by the end of the Powerplay. Kishan reached his half-century in just 27 deliveries, punctuated by a dominant seventh over where he smashed Abrar Ahmed for three consecutive boundaries.
Kishan was eventually bowled by Saim Ayub in the ninth over, but not before scoring a blistering 77 off 40 balls, including 10 fours and 3 sixes. He shared an 87-run partnership for the second wicket with Tilak Varma.
Late Flourish Sets the Target
Following Kishan’s departure, Captain Suryakumar Yadav joined Varma to keep the momentum going. Pakistan briefly threatened a comeback when Saim Ayub took two wickets in two balls—removing Varma and Hardik Pandya—with the score at 126.
Suryakumar contributed a steady 32 off 29 balls, while Shivam Dube provided a late boost with 27 off 17 balls. A productive final over yielding 16 runs pushed India to their final total of 175.
Bowling Figures (Pakistan)
- Saim Ayub: 3 wickets (Team best)
- Salman Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Tariq: 1 wicket each.
