IND vs PAK, T20 World Cup 2022: India beat Pakistan by four wickets
IND vs PAK, T20 World Cup 2022: In a nail-biting match on Sunday, India (160/6) defeated Pakistan (159/8) by four wickets as Virat Kohli played an undefeated 82 in a Super 12 match in Melbourne.
With this win, India has a two-point lead in Group 2. Chasing 160, India got off to a bad start when opener KL Rahul was sent back to the pavilion after only four of eight balls by bowler Naseem Shah.
Once again, the opener fell short in a crucial match, this time with an inside edge that went straight into the stumps. At this point, India was 7/1.
India received a second jolt when captain Rohit nicked one straight to Iftikhar Ahmed in the slips. Haris Rauf, a pacer, took the captain's wicket for 4 from 7 balls. India trailed by two runs after 3.2 overs.
Suryakumar was looking really good, but Rauf got the big fish after he nicked one to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan. India endured another huge blow as Suryakumar was back in the pavilion for just 15 off 10 balls. India was 26/3 in 5.3 overs.
Axar Patel was the next batter on the crease. At end of the powerplay in six overs, India was 31/3, with Virat (5*) and Axar (2*) at the crease. Patel also walked back after an unfortunate run-out for just 2. India had sunk to 31/4. Patel's dismissal though involved Rizwan fumbling the runout and not hitting the stumps with the ball fully, but he got away with it.
Pandya and Kohli took India safe halfway their innings, though singles continued without any boundaries. India was at 45/4 in 10 overs, with Virat (12*) and Pandya (7*) at the crease.
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India reached the 50-run mark in 10.3 overs. Pandya hit Mohammad Nawaz for a huge six at the start of the 12th over, hitting the first six of the innings. Nawaz was hit for two more sixes, including a straight hit by Virat, giving India a valuable over which gave them 20 runs.
The duo brought up their 50-run stand in 40 balls.
At the end of 15 overs, India touched the 100-run mark. India was at 100/4, with Virat (42*) and Hardik (32*) at the crease. Thanks to these two, Men in Blue made a solid recovery, getting 55 runs in the last five overs.
Rauf swung some momentum to Pakistan's side with an economical 16th over, conceding six. India needed 54 off 24 balls. Six runs came from the next over, reducing the equation to 48 off 18 balls.
Virat reached his half-century in 43 balls. The star batter swung tides in favour of India once again, helping India get 17 more runs. Men in Blue needed 31 off 12 balls.
After Rauf dominated the 19th over, Virat swung things into India's favour with two sixes in two balls. India needed 16 in the final over.
This pair of beloved players had to strike big in the last over, having scored 113 off 77 balls in their 77 balls. Pandya departed to Nawaz's first ball, scoring 40 off 37 balls. India needed 16 off 5 balls and the 'Finisher' Dinesh Karthik was at the crease with Kohli. However, he was also stumped with two runs left and one ball to go.
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.
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-PTC News with ANI inputs
