Kishan (77), Bumrah (2-17) script them a 61-run win over arch-rivals to book a place in the super 8 stage
Colombo: Ishan Kishan merged power with finesse for a fifty before Jasprit Bumrah destroyed Pakistan top-order with his malevolently talented right-arm, powering India to a T20 World Cup Super Eight berth clinching one-sided 61-run win on Sunday.
Kishan’s supersonic 77 (40b) on a tacky Premadasa pitch was worth its weight in gold, carrying India to a competitive 175 for seven after they were asked to bat first. It was easily one of the most entertaining T20I knocks by an Indian batter if one factors in degree of difficulty.
Pakistan needed a strong Power Play segment to chase 176 on this surface. But Bumrah (2/17) and Hardik Pandya (2/16) jettisoned big-hitting Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha to bowl out them for 114, reducing the much-anticipated match into a no-contest. India now lead 8-1 in all T20 World Cup encounters.
Pandya started the bedlam in the first over of Pakistan’s chase, as his snorter got big on Farhan and he could only sky it to Rinku Singh.
Entered the irrepressible Bumrah. The premier pacer unleashed himself on Pakistan batters in his first over itself. Ayub could not handle a devilish inswinging yorker to get caught in front of the wicket.
Agha was as clueless as an exchange student in a foreign country against Bumrah’s back of length delivery, scooping it to Panyda at mid-wicket.
Pakistan was in all sorts of trouble at 13 for three, and which soon became 34 for four after Babar Azam’s horrendous slog sweep off Axar Patel saw his stumps getting rearranged.
Their Powerplay produced 38 for four compared to India’s 52 for one, and that massive difference continued to widen as the match progressed.
Pakistan did not have either skill or resolve to get out of the marshy land, and continued to perish against Indian spinners through the middle overs as Kuldeep Yadav, Axar, Tilak Varma and Varun Chakravarthy kept them under an unbreakable spell.
