Rohit Sharma hits 86 as India hand Pakistan seven-wicket Cricket World Cup rout
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India's captain Rohit Sharma watching the ball after playing a shot during the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match between India and Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
PHOTO: AFP
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AHMEDABAD – Skipper Rohit Sharma’s 86 and an inspired bowling display helped India hammer Pakistan by seven wickets in their high-profile Cricket World Cup clash at the 132,000-capacity Ahmedabad Stadium on Saturday.
India bowled out Pakistan for 191 after their rivals collapsed from 155-2.
They overhauled the total with 117 balls to spare to extend their unbeaten streak against their neighbours to eight in the 50-over showpiece tournament.
Said the Indian captain: “There is no doubt about it that the bowlers set up the game for us again today.”
His opposite number, Pakistan’s Babar Azam, added: “With the new ball, we were not up to the mark. If we had been, it might have been a different ball game.”
Sharma stood out in his 63-ball knock laced with six fours and six sixes to keep India, who began the event as favourites to win the title, unbeaten in their three matches in this edition. Pakistan now have two wins and one defeat in the 10-nation tournament.
“It felt good,” said the Man of the Match, Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who had figures of 2-19 off nine overs.
Sharma hit the ball to all parts of the ground with his delightful flicks and pulls to entertain an almost all-Indian crowd at the world’s biggest cricket stadium, after Pakistanis were effectively banned from attending.
India lost Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli – both for 16 – before Sharma and Shreyas Iyer, who hit the winning four to reach 53, put on 77 runs for the third wicket and placed India comfortably on course for victory.
Sharma fell attempting another hit off Shaheen Shah Afridi to get caught at mid-wicket, but Iyer and K.L. Rahul took the team home with ease.
Bowlers set up victory after India elected to field and Mohammed Siraj, Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets each.
Pakistan were bowled out in 42.5 overs, losing eight wickets for 36 runs in 80 balls.
The total was Pakistan’s third lowest against India in the World Cup after their 173 in Sydney (1992) and 180 at Manchester (1999).
Pakistan started strongly but lost their openers before Azam (50) and Mohammad Rizwan (49) attempted to rebuild and hit back in their stand of 82.
Azam reached his 50 off 57 balls with a boundary but fell in the next over, bowled by Siraj as the crowd roared to see the back of the world’s No. 1 one-day international (ODI) batsman.
Yadav soon struck twice in an over to send back the left-handed Saud Shakeel and Iftikhar Ahmed, bowled around the legs for four after the ball deflected off the batsman’s gloves.
Bumrah denied Rizwan his 50 with a slower-off cutter that rattled the stumps as Pakistan slipped to 168-6.
Bumrah, playing in front of his home crowd, had a spring in his step and struck again in the next over to get Shadab Khan out for two, before Pandya and Jadeja combined to wrap up the tail.
Meanwhile, India is interested in hosting the Olympic Games in 2036, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday at the opening ceremony of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Mumbai.
“India will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to organise the Olympics in India in 2036. This is the age-old dream of 140 crore (1.4 billion) Indians,” Modi said. AFP
