World Cup: India’s Easy Win Over Pakistan

The eagerly awaited showdown between India and Pakistan proved to be a completely one-sided affair. Indian bowlers displayed remarkable prowess, dismantling Pakistan’s batting lineup and securing a comfortable win for their side. Skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been in exceptional form with the bat in this tournament, played a crucial role in the successful run chase, guiding India to the 192-run target in just 30.3 overs. This victory sustains India’s flawless record against Pakistan in ODI World Cups (8-0). Jasprit Bumrah was awarded the man of the match for his splendid show with the ball.

Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bowl first. Pakistan’s opening batter, Shafique, was dismissed by Siraj early in the innings, and later, Imam-ul-Haq was removed by Hardik Pandya. As Pakistan struggled at 73/2, Captain Babar Azam (50) and Mohammed Rizwan (49) formed an 82-run partnership to stabilize their innings. Nevertheless, their partnership was disrupted when Siraj dismissed Babar Azam, leading to a collapse in Pakistan’s batting order. The last eight wickets fell for just 36 runs. Indian bowlers seized control, systematically securing wickets. Ultimately, Pakistan was all out for 191 in 42.5 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah (2/19), Mohammed Siraj (2/50), Ravindra Jadeja (2/38), Kuldeep Yadav (2/35), and Hardik Pandya (2/34) all claiming two wickets each.

Chasing a moderate total on the flat Ahmedabad pitch appeared to be a simple task. Opener Shubman Gill provided a good start but soon departed by Shaheen Afridi. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli then stabilized the innings with a 56-run partnership. While Virat played cautiously, Rohit aggressively took on the Pakistani bowlers, eventually achieving his half-century. After Hasan Ali dismissed Kohli, Shreyas Iyer offered valuable support to Rohit, as they formed a 77-run partnership for the third wicket. Rohit’s innings concluded at 86 runs, falling just 14 runs short of a century, as Shaheen Afridi dismissed him. Following this, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul steered India to victory, with Iyer scoring an unbeaten fifty at 53*. Their partnership helped India in scoring 192/3 in 30.3 overs.

India will next face Bangladesh on October 19 in Pune. Whereas Pakistan will take on Australia on October 20.