By: Aditya Ahuja
A top-class bowling spell from speedster Jasprit Bumrah and a match-saving knock by Rishabh Pant were the highlights as India defeated Pakistan by six runs in a low-scoring thriller at the ICC T20 World Cup clash at New York’s Nassau County Stadium on Sunday.
After winning the game, India is at the top of Group A with two wins in two games and four points. Pakistan, having lost both their matches against the USA and India, finds itself in fourth place, with their chances of advancing to the knockout stage appearing slim.
Under overcast skies, Babar Azam put India to bat first. Rohit Sharma’s team struggled to get going on the two-paced surface, collapsing for 119 in 19 overs despite a resilient 42 off 31 balls from Rishabh Pant.
Pakistan, known for their volatility, looked set for an easy win, needing just 48 runs from 48 balls with eight wickets in hand.
However, the pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya turned the game on its head with incisive spells, reducing Pakistan to 102 for 6 in 19 overs.
With 18 runs required from the final over, Arshdeep Singh kept his nerve, leading India to another famous win over Pakistan on the world stage.
With this historic win, India has also equaled the record for defending the lowest total in T20 World Cup history. Back in the 2014 World T20, Sri Lanka defended 119 against New Zealand, bowling them out for just 60 runs.
Bumrah was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ for his three-wicket haul while giving away just 14 runs in his quota of four overs.
Brief scores: India 119/10 in 19 overs (Rishabh Pant 42; Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf 3/21) beat Pakistan 113/7 in 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 31; Jasprit Bumrah 3/14, Hardik Pandya 2/24) by six runs.