In a thrilling match at the Narendra Modi Stadium, India emerged victorious over archrivals Pakistan by seven wickets. The win maintains India’s unbeaten record against Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup.
The match, which was highly anticipated and had the city of Ahmedabad buzzing with excitement, saw Pakistan being bowled out for 191 runs in 43 overs. Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan provided some resistance with scores of 50 and 49 respectively, but the team collapsed and failed to complete their full 50 overs.
India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, led the chase with a brilliant knock of 86 runs. With support from Shreyas Iyer, who scored 53 runs, they comfortably reached the target in just 30.3 overs. The victory also ensured that India remains undefeated against Pakistan in World Cup history.
In addition to their perfect record against Pakistan, India joined New Zealand as the only teams to win their first three matches in the tournament.
Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was named the player of the match for his outstanding performance, picking up two wickets for just 19 runs in nine overs.
The match was a treat for the Indian fans present at the stadium, as they witnessed Rohit’s delightful flicks and pulls, entertaining them with his exquisite shots.
Pakistan’s innings was marred by a batting collapse, resulting in a total of 191 runs, their third-lowest score against India in the Cricket World Cup.
Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan showed resilience, with Azam reaching his half-century off 57 balls. However, their partnership was cut short, and Pakistan lost wickets in quick succession. Bumrah, Yadav, Siraj, Pandya, and Jadeja all took two wickets each to restrict Pakistan’s scoring.
Pakistan captain Babar expressed disappointment over the team’s collapse in the middle overs, acknowledging that early wickets by their bowling unit could have changed the outcome of the match.
The highly-anticipated match generated immense interest, with hotels fully booked and fans even booking full-body checkups at local hospitals to secure a place to stay. Hotel prices had gone up significantly, reflecting the demand from cricket enthusiasts. Only a few Pakistani fans, mainly expatriates, managed to attend the match due to visa delays.
India’s clinical victory over Pakistan adds another chapter to the historic rivalry between the two cricketing nations and cements their status as one of the frontrunners in the tournament.