In their third game of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Team India defeated arch-rival Pakistan by a comfortable margin of seven wickets. On Saturday, October 14, the thrilling match took place in Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.
Rohit Sharma, the captain of India, declared Pakistan to bat first after winning the toss. Indian bowlers displayed extraordinary skill as the Men in Blue held Pakistan to a meager 191 in 42.5 overs. Babar Azam led Pakistan in scoring with 50 points off 58 shots. For the visitors, two wickets were taken by each of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja.
India successfully surpassed the target in just 30.3 overs thanks to half-centuries from Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer.
Iyer amassed an undefeated 53 off 62 deliveries, while the India captain amassed an 86-run innings in 63 balls. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali both took two and one wickets for Pakistan.
The key talking points from the game are as follows:
Babar Azam’s important 50-minute span
In the 12th game of the ongoing competition, Babar Azam struck a crucial fifty against India. The captain of Pakistan scored 50 runs off 58 pitches, including seven boundaries. With teammate Muhammad Rizwan, he also created a partnership that included fifty or more runs.
Jasprit Bumrah’s superb bowling performance
The bowler of choice for India in the high-profile match against Pakistan was Jasprit Bumrah. The elite bowler’s final figures of 2/19 in seven overs were quite good. He dismissed Rizwan and Shadab Khan, respectively, making major gains for India.
Rohit Sharma’s courageous outing
During the subpar 192-run chase, India captain Rohit Sharma drove his team forward by slamming a magnificent half-century. The first hitter was excellent, scoring 86 runs off 63 balls, including six fours and the same number of sixes.
Losing Captain, Babar Azam, Pakistan said:
We started well. Good partnership between me and Imam. We wanted to play normal cricket (me and Rizwan). Suddenly we had a collapse and didn’t finish well. The way we started, wanted to target 280-290. With the new ball we are not upto the mark. The way Rohit is playing – he played an outstanding innings.
Winning Captain, Rohit Sharma, India said:
The bowlers were the ones today as well who set the game up for us. 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. It’s only because the guys – before entering the WC – they 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. Want to keep my fingers crossed. 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.
Jasprit Bumrah, Player of the Match said:
It felt good. Usually you try to analyse the wicket as soon as possible. We realised the wicket is on the slower side so we wanted to bowl hard lengths. We were trying to make it as difficult as possible. (On how he reads pitches quickly and understands what lengths work) Just being aware I guess. 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 (with questions), but it helps to read the wicket and try different options.
(On the slower ball to get rid of Rizwan) 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. (On the ball that got Shadab) Little phase where there was reverse swing, one of the occasions when the white ball was reverse swinging.
India
