Pakistan were unable to break their India jinx in a world event conceding a seven-wicket defeat to their arch-rivals in the opening Super 10 match of the ICC World Twenty20, Bangladesh 2014 in Mirpur on Friday. Set a simple target after Pakistan were restricted to 130-7, India cruised to 131-3 in 18.3 overs to post their fourth consecutive win against Pakistan in the tournament dating back to 2007.
India, who also won all of their five matches against Pakistan in the 50-over World Cup, were driven by a 54-run opening stand between Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma before Saeed Ajmal and Umar Gul briefly halted their momentum.
Ajmal took the catch of Gul’s bowling to find a breakthrough as Dhawan departed for 30 off 28 balls.
The off-spinner then bowled Sharma, who made 24 off 21 balls, giving Pakistan a glimmer of hope.
India were slightly nervous once Bilawal Bhatti removed Yuvraj Singh to leave the side 65-3, but Virat Kohli (36 not out) and Suresh Raina (35 not out) ensured there was to be no looking back, putting 66 runs for their unbroken fifth-wicket stand.
Asked to bat first, Pakistan did not get the kind of start they were looking for as the Indian spinners forced the top-order batsmen into the backfoot from the beginning.
Kamran Akmal was run out for eight before Ravindra Jadeja struck in his first over to remove Mohammad Hafeez, who was unable to cash in on a dropped catch by Yuvraj early in his innings, leaving for just 15 off 22 balls.
Amit Mishra spun one beautifully to bamboozle Ahmed Shehzad (22 off 17 balls), who charged the leg-spinner down the track only to be beaten by the turn with India captain MS Dhoni completing a simple stumping.
Shoaib Malik aimed to break the shackles hitting Mishra for a six and forcing him out of the attack but the bowler had his revenge soon after making him present a catch to Raina at long-off for 18 off 20 balls.
Two overs later it was Umar Akmal’s turn to join the procession, falling to Mohammad Shami after making 33 off 30 balls.
It left the Pakistani fans, who were outnumbered by their Indian counterparts for the first time in many days in Dhaka, on their feet as Shahid Afridi arrived to the crease with two-and-a-half overs remaining.
But Afridi could not produce the magic that enabled Pakistan to beat India in their last meeting at this very ground with two sixes in the final over as the Indian bowlers, with the aid of a slow and turning pitch, kept him in check.
During his 10-ball stay, Afridi could hit just one boundary off Bhuvneshwar Kumar and that too owing to some sluggish fielding of Shami. Kumar sent Afridi (eight) back to the dressing room two balls later as Raina grabbed the catch at deep midwicket.
Pakistan could reach 130 runs only after Sohaib Maqsood scored 14 runs off the final over, bowled by Shami, before he was eventually run out for 21 off 11 balls in the last over of innings.
BRIEF SCORES
Pakistan 130-7 in 20 overs (U Akmal 33, A Shehzad 22, S Maqsood 21; A Mishra 2-22) v India 131-3 in 18.3 overs (V Kohli 36 not out, S Raina 35 not out, S Dhawan 30, R Sharma 24; B Bhatti 1-17)
Result: India won by 7 wickets.
Man of the match: A Mishra (IND)
-With New Age input
