Sipu Jha
TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: The India-Pakistan fixture arrived wrapped in hype and high drama, enough to fuel a Netflix series. But when the cricket finally took centre stage, it was brutally short on contest. The game turned so one-sided that Indian bowlers eventually stopped celebrating, having already pinned Pakistan firmly to the mat.Chasing a stiff 176, Pakistan were bowled out for 114 runs. The 61-run win helped India cement their place in the Super Eight.
Belligerent Ishan
After electing to field first, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha sprang an early surprise by tossing the ball to himself. The decision paid immediate dividends as he dismissed Abhishek Sharma in the opening over, but what followed was a ferocious counterattack led by Ishan Kishan, who turned the powerplay into a statement of intent. It looked like Pakistan came prepared for Abhishek Sharma but it was Ishan Kishan, who came out of syllabus.
Kishan set the tone right away against Shaheen Shah Afridi, pulling the left-arm pacer over square leg for six off his first ball. A streaky boundary followed as Kishan flirted with danger, while Tilak Varma finished the over with another four, taking 15 runs off Shaheen’s opening spell. India, despite the early loss, had seized momentum.Kishan looked unstoppable from the outset. He opened Agha’s second over with a boundary and continued to disrupt Pakistan’s plans as both Agha and Saim Ayub bowled wide of the crease in an attempt to cramp India’s batters for room. The tactic yielded limited success. Kishan punished a slightly short delivery from Ayub, pulling it powerfully towards backward square leg, although he nearly paid the price while attempting a risky single. Only five runs came from Ayub’s first over, but Pakistan’s grip was fleeting.Spin arrived in earnest when Abrar Ahmed was introduced, and Kishan greeted him with disdain. A poor first ball down the leg side was swept for six, followed by a crisp boundary through the covers when Abrar offered width. Eleven runs came from the over, further tilting the balance in India’s favour.Kishan continued to find boundaries off Ayub, surviving another mistimed pull that just cleared mid-on. Tilak Varma then joined the act to close out a strong powerplay. Despite losing Abhishek early, India raced to 52 for 1 after six overs, with Kishan alone contributing 42 off 25 balls.There was no respite after the powerplay. Abrar switched to bowling over the wicket, but Kishan used soft hands to guide him past short third man before launching one straight down the ground to bring up a 27-ball fifty. The onslaught continued with another boundary through the covers, underlining his complete command over the bowling.With two left-handers at the crease, Agha turned to leg-spinner Shadab Khan, only for Kishan to unleash a slog-sweep for six. A boundary followed, and three well-run twos ensured 17 runs came off Shadab’s first over.Kishan’s innings finally ended when he reverse-swept Ayub for four before being bowled next ball, Ayub breaking the 87-run stand. On a challenging surface offering increasing grip, Kishan’s 77 off just 40 balls stood out as a remarkable effort.
Saim shines with ball
Pakistan continued to rely heavily on spin, using six spinners in the innings, the most ever by a team in a T20 World Cup and joint-most by a Full Member in a T20I. It was Saim Ayub who choked India’s run flow with his street-smart bowling. After going wicketless in his first two overs, Ayub returned to remove Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya in quick succession and nearly claimed a hat-trick, finishing with impressive figures of 4-0-25-3.India briefly lost momentum in the middle overs, but a patient 32 off 29 balls from Suryakumar Yadav, a brisk 27 off 17 from Shivam Dube, and a cameo of 11 off four balls from Rinku Singh ensured a strong finish.India eventually posted a competitive 175 for 7. For Pakistan, Saim Ayub picked up three wickets, while Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Tariq picked up a wicket apiece.
Hapless Pakistan
Pakistan batters looked all at sea in the chase. Hardik Pandya dismissed Shahibzada Farhan in the first over for a duck. Saim Ayub teed off with a no look six off Jasprit Bumrah’s first ball. The Indian speedster then pinned the southpaw, before sending Pakistan Captain Salman Ali Agha back to the hut for 4. It was a poor shot for Agha, who started the match on a high but ended he would kicking himself after that shot. It almost felt like there was an unwanted contest in the Pakistan dressing room over who produced the night’s worst dismissal. If Salman Ali Agha’s soft exit raised eyebrows, Babar Azam went a step further, attempting an uncharacteristic slog and completely losing his stumps. Axar Patel threw his arms up in delight as the middle stump was uprooted. It summed up Pakistan’s state of mind. Nowhere in the contest. Axar’s flat trajectory, bowled with relentless accuracy, left the right-hander no room, and Babar’s cross-batted swing looked utterly clueless.Usman Khan’s counterattacking 44 off 34 balls was the lone flicker of resistance in an otherwise shambolic chase. The rest of Pakistan’s batting folded without conviction, their top four failing to reach double figures as pressure mounted and belief evaporated. By the time the innings limped to its end, the contest had long been settled, leaving Pakistan exposed and India cruising through on the back of a ruthless, all-round performance.Brief Scores India: 175 for 7 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 77, Suryakumar Yadav 32, Shivam Dube 27; Saim Ayub 3/25) Pakistan: 114 runs all out in 17.5 overs (Usman Khan 44; Jasprit Bumrah 2/17, Axar Patel 2/29, Varun Chakravarthy 2/16)
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