Follow UsThe India-Pakistan game was the most hyped fixture of this World Cup. However, it turned to be the most one-sided contest with the earliest finish in the competition. India, continuing their domination in the tournament and over Pakistan in 50-over World Cups, won by seven wickets and 117 balls to spare.
Asked to bat first, Pakistan started well but crumbled around the 30th over mark. On the third last ball of the over, they lost their skipper, Babar Azam for 50. It led to a free fall in the innings - eight wickets for 36 runs. Eventually, the 1992 champions were bowled out for 191.
Babar, in the post match presentation, said they were eyeing 280-90. He also spoke about the new ball bowling not being upto the mark. India were 79/2 after the first powerplay in the run chase.
Five Indian bowlers picked two wickets each, framing only the third such occasion in a World Cup fixture. Rohit Sharma, India’s skipper, credited the bowling unit for this win.
"The bowlers were the ones today as well who set the game up for us," Rohit said.
"I don't think it was a 190 pitch. At one stage we were looking at 280. The way they showed grit says a lot.
"That is something we pride ourselves in. Whoever gets the ball does the job. We've got 6 individuals who can do the job with the ball. My job as a captain is important there as well. It's to read the conditions and figure out who's the right guy to do the job," he added.
On being asked about the team balance and the batters being in form, Rohit answered: "It's only because the guys - before entering the World Cup got a lot of runs. We were very clear what we wanted to do. Didn't want to be in two minds about who's going to bat where. All in all, it's looking good."
Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged the player-of-the-match for his figures of 7-1-19-2. He snapped wickets of Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan, pushing Pakistan back further in their collapse. In the powerplay, he restricted the opposition, conceding only 14 runs in his four overs upfront.
Bumrah reckoned that his side assessed the wicket quite early and changed their lengths accordingly. “It felt good. Usually you try to analyze the wicket as soon as possible. We realized the wicket is on the slower side so we wanted to bowl hard lengths. We were trying to make it as difficult as possible,” the right-arm seamer said.
Bumrah added to it, saying gaining experience from the seniors during his younger days is paying rich dividends to him now.
“I used to ask a lot of questions when I was young and that helps me now. Now I'm experienced. In my younger days they [seniors] were used to being troubled by me sometimes , but it helps to read the wicket and try different options,” Bumrah explained.
His deliveries to dismiss Rizwan and Shadab were the highlight of the game. “We were bowling in the middle overs and I saw Jaddu's ball was turning, not too much but a little bit. I count my slower ball as a spinner's slower ball, one of those days where it came off,” Bumrah shed light on Rizwan’s dismissal.
Bumrah got Rizwan with an off-cutter and did Shadab with reverse swing. “Little phase where there was reverse swing, one of the occasions when the white ball was reverse swinging,” Bumrah said about the delivery which trimmed the off bail of Shadab’s stumps.
This is India’s third win in as many matches in this World Cup. They sit on top of the points table, leveled with New Zealand in terms of points (6), but excel then on net run-rate. India have an NRR of +1.8 as compared to New Zealand’s +1.6.
"Don't want to get too excited. Don't want to get too low as well. Want to stay balanced. Keep calm and keep moving forward. Every opposition we come up against are all quality. You have to play well on that particular day, and that's what we're looking at,” Rohit Sharma said about the team’s approach moving forward.