In the highly anticipated World Cup clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, the game took a dramatic turn in the middle overs, and it was a stunning comeback for the Indian team. Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav played pivotal roles, triggering a collapse in the Pakistan batting lineup. From a relatively comfortable position of 155/2, Pakistan found themselves spiraling downward, losing five wickets for just 16 runs, leaving them in jeopardy of falling below the 200-run mark.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan had formed a partnership that appeared menacing for the Indian side after the early dismissals of Pakistan’s openers courtesy of Mohammed Siraj and Hardik Pandya. However, once Siraj dismissed Babar Azam, ending their 82-run stand, Pakistan’s fortunes took a sharp downturn. Kuldeep Yadav accounted for Saud Shakeel, dismissing him LBW, before taking Iftikhar Ahmed’s wicket by sending the ball around his legs. Shortly after, Jasprit Bumrah bowled a superb delivery to dismiss Rizwan and subsequently removed Shadab Khan in the next over. The Pakistan batting order continued to crumble, and they were ultimately bundled out for a modest total of 191.
Cheteshwar Pujara expressed his perspective on Pakistan’s batting performance, characterizing it as a collapse, and opined that their total was insufficient to defend on the given pitch. He lauded the Indian bowlers, acknowledging their exceptional efforts in the match.
Pujara’s Tweet
Earlier in the match, India’s captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl. He also announced the return of Shubman Gill in place of Ishan Kishan. Pakistan’s openers, Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq, made the most of their opportunities by finding the boundaries with regularity. However, Mohammed Siraj, who had initially leaked runs, redeemed himself by getting rid of the dangerous Abdullah Shafique in the eighth over. Imam-ul-Haq had been batting steadily, accumulating 36 runs from 28 balls, but he too fell victim to India’s bowlers, particularly Hardik Pandya, who provided him with a send-off.
This World Cup encounter between the cricketing giants had certainly lived up to its billing, with the pendulum of advantage swinging back and forth, making it a thrilling contest for fans on both sides.
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