In the 12th match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to field first. With the kind of start India had with the ball, it was remarkable how the visitors were restricted to less than 200 runs. Pakistan batters were looking set at the start and got a valiant partnership as well, but the second half of the first inning completely changed the course of the match. On a pitch that supported batters, Mohammed Siraj got the first breakthrough, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja were economical, and others too had their contribution count as India restricted Pakistan to just 191 runs in 42.5 overs.
In the chase, with no pressure, the two-time World Cup winners straightaway started hitting bowlers for boundaries from ball one. While Rohit Sharma (86) maintained his form and hit another half-century, Shubman Gill (16), who returned after suffering from dengue, also struck a few good boundaries. Skipper Rohit hit six fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 136.51, which somehow secured the game then and there. It is also safe to say that the Indian captain missed out on his well-deserved century tonight. Nonetheless, his knock helped other batters to take time and win the game comprehensively. In addition, Virat Kohli (16) also scored a few runs, but post his wicket, it was Shreyas Iyer (53*) who took the proceedings forward. The right-handed batter smashed three fours and two sixes, which also sealed the game for Team India. It is important to mention that Iyer also got some support from KL Rahul (19*). The target of 192 was never going to intimidate the home side but instead became a performance that would give the Indian side a huge morale boost going forward in the tournament.
With the bat for the Men in Green, the team got off to an extraordinary start with both openers, Abdullah Shafique (20) and Imam-ul-Haq (36), striking the ball well in the gaps. The way the batters were approaching Indian bowlers, 300 runs on the board looked quite possible. Even skipper Babar Azam (50) and Mohammad Rizwan (49) formed a decent partnership of 82 runs. Both batters needed to stick longer at the crease, as after their wickets, the situation altered drastically. The side got bowled out for just 191 runs, which did not justify how they started their innings.
All the Indian bowlers, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep, Siraj, Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah, scalped two wickets each. Shardul Thakur was the only bowler with no wickets to his name, as he only bowled two overs. At the beginning of the innings, Pakistan’s team appeared to be proficient, but post Babar’s wicket in the 30th over, the situation significantly shifted in India’s favor. From 154/2 to 191/10, Pakistan lost eight wickets for just 37 runs, which was the turning point of the match.
For Pakistan with the ball, there wasn’t much to talk about. Shaheen Afridi looked good in his second spell, which also helped him get rid of the Indian captain. In the powerplay, the left-armer also took the wicket of Gill. Along with him, Hasan Ali also managed to get one wicket.
Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged Player of the Match for his exceptional bowling performance. Following this win, India find themselves at the top of the table with six points. Not to forget, India have stretched their lead against Pakistan by 8-0 now, with this being the biggest victory in World Cup history.
Scorecard:
Pakistan: 191/10, Overs 42.5, Babar Azam 50, Jasprit Bumrah 2/19
India: 192/3, Overs 30.3, Rohit Sharma 86, Shaheen Afridi 2/36