India Dominates Pakistan in Men’s ODI World Cup Match, Rohit, Bumrah, and Kuldeep Shine

In a spectacular showcase of cricket, India delivered a comprehensive victory, defeating Pakistan by seven wickets in the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup match held at the Narendra Modi Stadium, witnessed by a crowd of over 100,000 fans donning blue jerseys.

India’s third consecutive triumph on a challenging pitch with unpredictable bounce was orchestrated by the intelligent variations of Jasprit Bumrah and the precise wrist spin of Kuldeep Yadav, earning them figures of 2-19 and 2-35, respectively. Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja also made significant contributions, each claiming two wickets, as India restricted Pakistan to a mere 191 runs in 42.5 overs.

Despite reaching a comfortable position at 155-2, Pakistan’s batting lineup crumbled, losing eight wickets for a mere 36 runs in 13 overs. It marked their worst collapse for the last eight wickets in the history of their participation in the Men’s ODI World Cup. The innings were so lackluster that not a single six was struck, leading commentator Nasser Hussain to remark, “It’s a collapse only the Pakistan team can engineer.”

In pursuit of 192 runs, India’s captain Rohit Sharma took charge, smashing six fours and as many sixes to achieve a dazzling 86 off 63 balls. Shreyas Iyer also made a significant contribution with an unbeaten 53 off 62 balls, guiding India to its eighth consecutive victory over Pakistan in Men’s ODI World Cups. This comprehensive win also propelled India to the top of the points table.

Choosing to bowl first, India patiently waited for a breakthrough as Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq struck seven boundaries in the initial seven overs. However, Siraj managed to dismiss Shafique through a well-placed cross-seam delivery, claiming a leg-before-wicket (lbw) dismissal.

Imam, who had earlier hit two boundaries off Hardik Pandya, was later caught behind by KL Rahul after attempting a drive away from his body. India came close to securing their third wicket when Jadeja appeared to have Rizwan lbw for one, but a review revealed that the ball was missing the leg-stump.

While Babar Azam displayed exceptional form, consistently delivering beautiful drives through the covers, Rizwan showcased his expertise with well-executed sweeps and cuts. However, as the spinners applied pressure, allowing only 11 runs in overs 24-27, the momentum began to shift.

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Azam reached his first ODI fifty against India with an exquisite drive through cover off Kuldeep. Nevertheless, his partnership with Rizwan was disrupted when Azam tried to guide a delivery from Siraj through the third-man region but was deceived by the pace and bounce, resulting in his off-stump being dislodged.

Azam’s dismissal marked the beginning of a batting collapse for Pakistan. Kuldeep subsequently secured an LBW dismissal for Saud Shakeel on review and, in the 33rd over, castled Iftikhar Ahmed with a well-executed googly around his legs.

Returning to the attack, Bumrah managed to dismiss Rizwan with an artful off-cutter that sharply moved in to beat the inside edge and hit the top of the off-stump. Bumrah continued his outstanding performance by clean-bowling Shadab Khan with a length ball that straightened off the pitch to hit the top of the off-stump.

Mohammad Nawaz hit a shot straight to mid-on off Hardik Pandya, while Hasan Ali was caught in the deep off Ravindra Jadeja, who concluded Pakistan’s innings by trapping Haris Rauf lbw.

In India’s chase, Shubman Gill displayed his prowess with four impressive boundaries, but his promising innings was cut short by a delivery from Shaheen Shah Afridi, which he edged to backward point. Rohit Sharma initially struggled with his timing but eventually found his rhythm, delivering exquisite boundaries and sixes.

Virat Kohli also exhibited his batting finesse, showcasing splendid timing as he produced pristine cover drives and extra-cover drives against Shaheen. Rohit, on the other hand, treated the crowd to breathtaking sixes, hitting Shaheen over fine leg and Nawaz over mid-wicket. His 300th ODI six was achieved by muscling a delivery from Haris Rauf over long-on, followed by his 301st six by dispatching Rauf over cover for six.

However, Hasan Ali managed to dismiss Kohli, who mistimed a shot to mid-on. Rohit, after reaching his fifty in just 36 balls, continued to pepper the boundaries effortlessly. He received excellent support from Shreyas Iyer, who joined him in a barrage of fours and sixes against Pakistan’s bowlers, particularly the spinners.

Although Rohit narrowly missed a second consecutive century, falling short by 14 runs after misjudging a slower ball and being caught at mid-on off Shaheen, Iyer and KL Rahul easily secured the remaining 36 runs to secure a resounding victory for India.

Final Scores:

Pakistan 191 in 42.5 overs (Babar Azam 50, Mohammad Rizwan 49; Jasprit Bumrah 2-19, Hardik Pandya 2-34) lost to India 192-3 in 30.3 overs (Rohit Sharma 86, Shreyas Iyer 53 not out; Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-36