Team India had a dreamy start to their Cricket World Cup 2023 match against Pakistan as they bundled out the visitors for 191. Asked to bat first, Pakistan started off the proceedings on a good note with Abdullah Shafique and Imam-Ul-Haq stitching a good partnership. However, Mohammed Siraj provided the hosts with their first breakthrough in the form of Shafique. Later, the entire bowling unit contributed as Pakistan’s innings came to an end in just 42.5 overs. Only skipper Babar Azam played a decent knock of 50 runs and provided Pakistan with some hope. But, Siraj struck in the 30th over and clean bowled Babar.
The dismissal of the Pakistan skipper left every Indian fan, including famous Bollywood singer Arijit Singh excited. In a video going viral on social media, Arijit was seen waving his t-shirt from the stands, to celebrate Babar’s wicket.
Arijit Singh enjoyed that wicket#INDvsPAK pic.twitter.com/GfC1q8aTZp
— Umpire (@XTweetsCricket) October 14, 2023
Talking about the match, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah hoodwinked the Pakistan batters with semi-old ball and a bagful of tricks as India restricted arch-rivals to a lowly 191 in 42.5 overs in a marquee World Cup clash.
This is Pakistan’s second lowest score against India in ODI World Cup after 180 all-out back in 1999.
The two new ball bowlers made the semi-new ball talk by altering the length and using the wobbly seam to run through a circumspect middle-order and put India on course of their eighth victory in ODI World Cups.
Kuldeep Yadav‘s (2/35) role as the supporting protagonist was also laudable as he did his bit in removing Saud Shakeel (6) and Iftikhar Ahmed (4) in quick succession to hasten the slide.
Skipper Rohit Sharma‘s decision to bowl first after winning the toss might have raised a few eye-brows but the Indian team always had things under control despite a 72-run third wicket stand between skipper Babar Azam (50 off 58 balls) and Mohammed Rizwan (49 off 69 balls).
It was a matter of one wicket and once Siraj (2/50) got one to just move in a shade from a shorter length, the Pakistan skipper misjudged it completely and remained rooted to his crease trying to steer it to third man.
The sound of timber was what 100,000 at Motera wanted to hear.
Rizwan, on cusp of his half-century got a wobbly seam slow off-cutter from Bumrah (2/19 in 7 overs), that entered through the gap between bat and pad as Pakistan’s resistance ended at that moment.
While Pakistan openers Abdullah Shafique (20) and Imam ul Haque (36) had started off well with 41 on the board, Siraj kept one on three quarter length and got that to dart in, catching the former plumb in-front.
(With PTI Inputs)
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