India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma's team pulls off sensational 4-wicket win
Rohit Sharma-led India pulled off a sensational four-wicket win against Babar Azam’s Pakistan in their T20 World Cup match at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. And all credit goes to an explosive half-century by star batter Virat Kohli and all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
With this win, India is at top of Group 2 with two points.
Winning the toss, India put Pakistan in to bat first. Fiery and top bowling spells by Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh helped India restrict arch-rival Pakistan to 159/8 in the high-voltage clash of the Super 12 stage of the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
For India, Arshdeep Singh bagged three wickets Hardik Pandya returned with a stunning figure of 3-30.
Shan Masood top-scored for Pakistan with 52 not out while Iftikhar Ahmed played a crucial knock of 51 runs.
Chasing 160, India got off to a terrible start as opener KL Rahul was sent back to the pavilion by the pacer Naseem Shah for just four of eight balls. The opener disappointed in a crucial match once again, with an inside edge landing straight into the stumps. India was 7/1 at this point.
India received second jolt when captain Rohit nicked one straight into the slips to Iftikhar Ahmed. The skipper lost his wicket for just 4 off 7 balls to pacer Haris Rauf. India was two down at 10 runs in 3.2 overs.
Then after, fast dismissal of Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, India had sunk to 31/4.
But Kohli finally found his groove and with Pandya started launching a fightback, hitting three sixes in one over off Nawaz. They still needed 60 runs with five overs remaining. With 28 needed off eight balls Kohli smashed two sixes off Haris Rauf to leave 16 from the final over.
In a chaotic, breathless final over, Kohli hit another six off a no-ball, then ran three after being bowled off the following free hit.
With two runs needed Dinesh Karthik was stumped down the leg side. Ashwin finished the match with a single, helping India clinch a four-wicket win. India finished at 160/6, with Kohli scoring an unbeaten 82 off 53 balls, with six fours and four sixes and Ashwin unbeaten at 1.
Victory was critical in a group that also includes South Africa, Bangladesh and qualifiers Zimbabwe and the Netherlands, with only the top two making the semi-finals.
(With inputs from agencies)
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