In a Group A game in Colombo, India came out all guns blazing in the run chase as they picked wickets at regular intervals. After posting 175, it was important for India to strike early with the ball in hand. And they did so with flying colours by taking wickets of the top order some to nothing shots as Pakistan are now up against it in the powerplay. They need a special knock from someone to make a match out of it.
India run through Pakistan by taking 4 wickets inside the powerplay.Â
Chasing 176 for the win, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub came out to bat for Pakistan while Hardik Pandya had ball in hand for India. Hardik drew the first blood for India removing Farhan for a duck. Hardik bowled a short of a length outside the off-stump. Farhan looked to break the shackles and swiped across the line and lost his shape and got a top edge that shot up towards mid-on. Rinku Singh got underneath it and took the catch. Captain Salman Ali Agha came out to bat next as we saw a wicket maiden over to start proceedings.
Jasprit Bumrah came into the attack next. Ayub got off the mark with a triple with a leading edge that flew over the slip cordon for the maximum. Bumrah responded back by getting rid of Ayub for 6 off 2 balls with one six to his name. Bumrah bowled full on the middle line and shaped back in very late. Ayub failed to counter the inward movement and didn’t get his front leg out of the way. The ball kissed the front pad before the bat came down at an angle. The appeal and the finger went up. Ayub reviewed in hope and saw three reds on ball tracking. The review was lost as well.
Babar Azam came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Salman drove and got an inside edge that ran behind the square on the leg side for a boundary. Bumrah got two in the over as he got rid of Salman for 4 off 4 balls with one four to his name. Bumrah bowled on a length angled into the off-stump from outside the off-stump. Agha planted his front leg across and looked to whip it over midwicket as he closed the bat face early. He lost his shape and got a leading edge towards mid-on. Pandya back-tracked and took the catch. Usman Khan came out to bat next.
Hardik continued as Usman took him on and lofted it over long-off for the maximum. Bumrah continued and bowled quiet over. Axar Patel came into the attack next. Usman took the attack to Axar as he sliced it over covers for a boundary. Usman then got down on one knee and made room to go over extra covers for a boundary. Axar roared back and got rid of Babar Azam for 5 off 7 balls.
Axar bowled slightly slower this time full on the off-stump line. The angle from around the wicket does it for Babar who sat down on a knee and for some reason tried to go for an across the line slog. He missed the slog altogether and the ball sneaked past the inside edge and rattles the middle stump. Shadab Khan came out to bat next.
Varun Chakaravarthy came into the attack to bowl the last over of powerplay. He bowled a good first over. At the end of the powerplay, Pakistan were 38/4 in 6 overs with Usman Khan unbeaten on 21 off 17 balls and Shadab Khan unbeaten on 1 off 2 balls. Drinks came on the field now.
Usman Khan keeps Pakistan afloat as the Men in Green tries to take the game deep.Â
Axar Patel continued after the break as Usman punished it by pumping it over midwicket for a boundary. Usman helped the ball on its way past deep fine leg for a boundary. Varun continued as Shadab cut it away to deep backward point for a triple as the 50 came for Pakistan in 7.1 overs. Shadab then reverse swept the ball away past diving short third man for a boundary. Axar continued as Usman went straight down the ground for a boundary. Usman clubbed the bowler over the bowler’s head for a boundary.
Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over. So, Pakistan were 71/4 in 10 overs with Shadab Khan unbeaten on 12 off 12 balls and Usman Khan unbeaten on 43 off 31 balls. India still in the ascendancy.
What Lies Ahead.Â
Pakistan has made a brief recovery post the powerplay but India are on top at this stage and have Pakistan at 71/4 chasing 176 for the win. India needs to keep chipping away at the wickets while Pakistan needs this partnership to flourish to lay the platform for the others to come in and play their innings. Let’s see how the rest of the game unfolds from here.
Also Read:Â ICC T20 WC 2026: India Set Daunting Target For Pakistan