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29 March 2024

Pakistan's last laugh over ‘slow’ India

India's batsmen Virat Kohli, right, shakes hands with Pakistan's captain Mohammad Hafeez after beating them by 8 wickets in the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup Super Eight match between India and Pakistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012. (AP)

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By Colombo Allaam Ousman

The highly-charged India versus Pakistan World Twenty20 Super Eight clash in Colombo fizzled out for connoisseurs of the game.

Pakistan were the form team going into the marquee game of the tournament at a packed R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday night having pulled off a remarkable comeback win against South Africa.

Despite not having ever won a World Cup encounter against archrivals India, Pakistan were the overwhelming favourites especially in the light of the Virender Sehwag affair which dominated much of the pre-match hype in the opposition camp.

After Australia had throttled South Africa with another clinical performance thanks to Shane Watson's fine all-around display, it just needed a composed Pakistan team to play to their potential and drive home the advantage.

But it was not to be as Pakistan imploded with a spineless batting performance after winning the toss which was perhaps the only thing skipper Muhammad Hafeez did right.

India miss equation

However, India, despite all the IPL experience and knowing how net run rate can affect the eventual outcomes left themselves badly exposed.

With 8 wickets in hand they allowed the ‘game’ to escape them.

  • When 20 balls were left, India needed to 2 runs to wrap up the match and go ahead of Pakistan's net run rate and go up to second in the table
  • Virat Kohli took a single and India are still third
  • Pakistan have a minus .426 run-rate. India have a net run-rate of minus .452.
  • India need to beat South Africa and Australia need to beat Pakistan for MS Dhoni's side to qualify for semifinal
  • If both India and Pakistan lose, net run-rate will come into play, of course with Pakistan’s defeat further changing the dynamics
  • If both India and Pakistan win, both teams will have four points - the same as Australia and then the net run-rate will come in to play

Tossed out

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni called it wrong at the toss.

But he called the shots thereafter even holding four catches behind the stumps as Pakistan crumbled like a pack of cards.

It had nothing to do with any terrors or tricks played by the surface.

It was also not due to an exceptional bowling performance from India who left Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla on the bench.

It had more to do with an inept display by Pakistan's batsmen who played silly shots.

Imran Nazir began the procession by getting himself into a tangle from Irfan Pathan's second delivery, missing completely to be adjudged leg before in the second over of the match.

When crowd favourite Shahid Afridi surprisingly walked in at No.3 there was a growing anticipation that Pakistan really wanted to lift the tempo of this high-octane battle.

The out-of-form Afridi flattered to deceive by punching the first ball he faced to the long-on boundary and finishing the over with a flourishing cover drive to the fence.

But he did not last long with Laxmipathy Balaji claiming a once-prized wicket as Afridi's attempted big hit was pocketed by Suresh Raina.

When Pakistan needed to consolidate, the manner in which left hander Naser Jamshed and Kamran Akmal perished caught behind attempting to sweep Yuvraj Singh was strange.

The plot got thicker when part-time trundler Virat Kohli beat Hafeez all ends up as the experienced opener made a feeble attempt to jab down the ball after backing towards the leg having laboured 25 balls for his 15 which contained a single boundary.

Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal showed some semblance of resistance after Pakistan had collapsed to 59 for 5 with a 47-run partnership.

Off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin put a lid on their plans to bat out the 20 overs.

That Pakistan's innings folded with three overs still remaining in such a high-profile contest shows their lack of determination to raise the bar.

India's victory was never in doubt chasing a modest target of 129 despite the minor hiccup of losing Gautam Gambhir for a duck when he spooned a return catch to left arm spinner Raza Hasan with the second legal delivery of the innings.

It was the only ploy which worked for Hafeez as India led by a superb unbeaten 78 from Virat Kohli, kept alive their Twenty20 World Cup hopes with an emphatic eight-wicket win with three overs to spare.

Kohli, missed on 42 and 64, lashed two sixes and nine fours in his match-winning knock made off 61 balls.

He was supported by Virender Sehwag (29) and Yuvraj Singh with an unbeaten 19 as India cruised home with three overs to spare.

Dhoni confident, Pakistan must win

Team India captain Dhoni was in a buoyant mood at the post-match conference having got the monkey off his back.

"Today's performance was a really a good one because the part-timers contributed, the spinners bowled well and also the fast bowlers," India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni told reporters.

"The first two overs we gave away bit of runs. But after that I felt we were quite consistent."

When asked if India have now found the right combination after a humiliating nine-wicket defeat by Australia, Dhoni said: "Whatever suits the conditions the best, we look to play that.

“So it depends on what kind of wicket we are playing on. We'' have to wait and watch before deciding for the next game."

Pakistan face a must-win situation against Australia on Tuesday but net run-rate would come into play if India also win.

The bottom line is whether Pakistan have the character to bounce back like India did, shrugging off the internal rifts to unite as one potent force.

Pakistan have performed Houdini acts before, the most recent being against South Africa on Friday.