India beat Pakistan in their opening World Twenty20 match, in Mirpur, to settle scores after their Asia Cup defeat at the same venue. PHOTO: AFP
India maintained their impeccable World Cup record against Pakistan after Virat Kohli’s fluent 36 not out powered them to a seven-wicket victory against the archrivals in a Group Two Super-10 stage match of the World Twenty20 on Friday.
Put into bat, Pakistan did not get the flying start they were looking for and could not mount a late assault either against India’s disciplined bowlers who restricted them to 130 for seven at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
India made a strong, if not spectacular, start to their chase with their openers adding 54 runs in eight overs before Shikhar Dhawan (30) fell to Umar Gul to trigger a mini-collapse.
Rohit Sharma (24) dragged a Saeed Ajmal delivery on to his stumps while Bilawal Bhatti rearranged Yuvraj Singh’s stumps as India slumped to 65 for three in the 11th over.
Kohli displayed the kind of form that has made him the mainstay of Indian batting, playing with characteristic ease and grace to add 66 runs with Suresh Raina (35 not out) to win the match with nine balls to spare and prolong India’s unbeaten record against Pakistan in 20-over and 50-over World Cups.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez rued the below-par performance of his team.
“The pitch was a bit damp and there was extra bounce,” he said. “We were 20 runs short and also dropped some crucial catches. However, I have hopes from Maqsood; he has natural talent to hit the ball hard. There is yet a long way to go in this tournament.”
India benefit from winning toss
Wary of the dew factor and confident of his team’s ability to chase under floodlights, India captain MS Dhoni earlier asked Pakistan to bat first and opened with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
Kamran Akmal warmed up with a couple of boundaries before running himself out in the second over following a comical mix-up with Ahmed Shehzad.
Shehzad featured in another confusion in the very next delivery but was fortunate as Dhoni’s direct throw missed stumps as the batsman hurried back abandoning his pursuit for a non-existent single.
Hafeez also had his share of luck as Yuvraj, usually a safe catcher, dropped him at deep midwicket off Mohammad Shami when the Pakistan captain was on five.
Hafeez (15) could not make the most of the reprieve and fell to Ravindra Jadeja’s third delivery after Bhuvaneshwar Kumar ran from deep cover to take a low, diving catch.
Shehzad (22) joined him in the pavilion in the next over, having charged out only to be completely foxed by leg-spinner Amit Mishra’s prodigious turn.
Umar Akmal (33) added 50 runs with Shoaib Malik (18) but fell to Mishra just when he looked set for a late assault to push the score.
No Afridi magic this time
Much depended on Shahid Afridi when he walked in but the all-rounder fell for eight as Raina took a diving catch in the deep to snuff out Pakistan’s hopes of a late surge.
A delighted Mishra was declared man of the match.
“I did some hard work, I’m very happy we won this match,” said Mishra. “I’m always thinking of going for wickets and building up pressure. Dhoni gave me a lot of support today, the sort of support you need as a bowler.”
Meanwhile, Dhoni was a relieved captain at the end of the day.
“Apart from a few dropped catches, it was a fantastic game,” said Dhoni. “Rohit and Dhawan gave us a good start, Kohli and Raina capitalised. It is good to see Raina among the runs, with him around it gives us the firepower in the middle order.”
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Published in The Express Tribune, March 22nd, 2014.
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COMMENTS (99)
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Indian victory against Pakistan brings out my worst fears...most if not all Pakistani fans start blaming BCCI,ICC RAW, MOSAD and what not to have conspired against Pakistani Cricket team and PCB to somehow arm-twist them into surrendering the match.ironically it is the same morally upright PCB who till yesterday was boldly standing against the so called ''big threes''.so for Pakistani fans there are only two scenarios either Pak wins or the match is fixed.comm'n guys wake up and smell the coffee.accepting a defeat against poor Indians will not make Pakistanis lesser beings.
@SAEED AKHTAR: It was actually Pakistanis were weeping for not being considered for IPL and then being left alone in big three issue. So we Indians decided to send our C team to play the Asia cup. Still Pakistan won on the last over loosing 9 wickets by some LUCKY afridi slog. It was just a consolation win for Pakistan and PCB. When the real game started India thrased you by 7 wickets. So now try to win all the remaining matches else go home and cry!
I compel to write this piece, sitting in India that I don't prescribe the heading of this story particular word 'Revenge'. We should understand that the people involved in the matches between India and Pakistan had been following hidden agenda of raising jingoism and passion so that we the spectator fall in their trap and flock to stadiums, increases viewership, shores up TV channels rating. The net result is the filled up coffers of boards and people involved in the matches. But think dear, what we got? nothing except depression in defeats and intriguing happiness in win, which is totally different when we win competing some other countries and that tells how our mind have become wicked. From onward we should treat these matches as another match, lessen the unwanted pressure on our team and stop criticizing unreasonably, stop raising hue and cry on defeat or demand of inquiry on defeat, stop raising our players to status of demi-god on their heroics against one another, appreciate good cricket whoever plays or wins. If we follow these rules perhaps we would be fortunate to watch our teams playing more frequently.
@Alia we like to remind you we won worldcup 1983 in England, VB Series in Australia first T-20 world cup in South Africa so don't say we can't win outside of sub-continent.
@Zaid Hamid: No, it was fixed by RAW, Moussad, and CIA.
ET - PLease stop sensationalising some decent sports event. Its just a cricket match. We Indians didn't look at it as revenge.
@Sridhar: India and Pakistan should play many matches between them but when it comes to international events (like this one), they should play as one team. . Arre.... why are you cooking dreamy rice (kyon Khayali pulao paka rahe ho)? Why can't you just enjoy the sport rivalry between the two countries?
Pakistanis should not have made so much hype about this match,this was just another match.One thing they should realize that after winning this match India or for that matter any other team can be out of the race for championship and after loosing Pakistan or for that matter any other team can win the trophy.So relax and enjoy the game and try to improve.By the way,who are these Bangladeshis who are more sad than the Pakistanis themselves ?
@PakFront: Do you mean your cricket team is a sold out? Why does it not surprise me?
@Last Word ....Afridi after his poor performance should leave cricket, undertake cooking lessons, cook for the angry Pakistani women and eat along with them.....
LOL! I would also like to add that afridi take batting lesson from the pakistani women's cricket team, and learn from them, the art of shot selection and using ones own brain.
Amazingly Pakistan started their inning in panic. Can't understand the mentality of the batsmen trying risky single in the second over with no pressure to push the score. The team really need a psychologist to instill confidence. Losing to India 9 times in a row in world cup matches shows something about the confidence of Pakistani cricketers. The captain and the coach don't seem to be doing a good job of relaxing the players and creating winning mentality. The odds of making semi-final this time are not favourable.
This newspaper serves more stories on India than many Indian dailies. :P
Seriously guys grow up. To most Pakistanis had you in first place not been so vile and despicable thrashing india and Indians for a win on that stupid match. You won't have the same treatment mended back to you on platter when u lose. Being an indian, majority don't care it's just a match not war. But when you here such vile comments against ur country or religion for a match it becomes tit for tat strategy. Please give constructive criticism if you must not racial slurs. @truther I have seen your vile and demeaning comments on all news columns. So it's not surprising when you loose its "match fixed "strategy. Grow up if not for Indians at least don't shame your own country team on whole by saying they are match fixers.shame on you for doubting their patriotic spirit. And indian newspapers don't screen comments.Pakistanis post there too. Coz it's not screened you get all types trolls spammers, jokers,goods bads ugly etc.. and secondly if you rant against a race and country in a vile way make fun of them you expect roses and garlands in return? Give respect,earn respect friend! You slur, you will get that right back. Btw m happy situation is much better with few crack Indians and majority mature sane indian response here.. Where as the situation was much different wen Pakistan won and Majority Pakistanis went on a rampage against india,religion,business and what not.
@Zaid Hamid: The team may have failed to perform to expectation but to call them crooks is farfetched and probably unfair.
@Alia: yes yes i understand pakistan was once beaten by zimbabwe...tis ok... :D
India and Pakistan should play many matches between them but when it comes to international events (like this one), they should play as one team. Imagine when this happens! We see this when different islands of Carribean play as one team (West Indies). Imagine what this will do to relationship between the 2 nations.
Indians are tigers, they have the skills to win under any circumstances, no matter even on opponents cave
I do not know if it is the Indian team that played well or the Indian betting mafia which played well :)
Indians, no need to get excited. It's T20, not 50-50 in which Pakistan usually smashes India. T20 is a piece of cake. Anyone can win. Nothing much to really jump over, you still have the remainder of your games and so do we.
Dear ET and Indians,
I am more then happy with Mirpur win and really don't bother about yesterday :)
@PakFront: Well, everyone knows that the biggest of the so called ‘Big 3′ have enough financial resources to see to it that India wins. . Ahem.... You just accused the whole of your Cricket team and the Cricket board to be a sellout. Really? And for what - losing a T-20 game to a better opponent?
I didn't see sincerity in whole match does it international or under 19????
@Daniel: @Alia: You forgot to mention that you also have bigger hearts than Indians .
After watching yesterday's game, maybe what they need are bigger hands to take all those catches.
Be it Friday or any other day, be it T20 or 50-over cricket, Pakistan still can't beat India in World Cups
This match was fixed otherwise we will never loose against a weak team like India.
We agreed that our team defeated in the match.We are a poor country will less financial capability in cricket compared to India.May be we are not as professional as indians.India is a big country will vast financial resources and talents.
@Alia:
You forgot to mention that you also have bigger hearts than Indians .
@Alia:
Apply some antiseptic cream for burns. Your wounds will heal fast.
I'm lovin it
pakistan thrashed and humiliated again....losers man....what losers....:D
I really wonder here ... why has nobody harped on the famous Miandad SIX ....
It was 20-20 cricket and Asian cup match was of 50-50 over match. Complete different contrast and impact. Any team can win in this sort of matches even minnows too.
Will India and Pakistan remains enemies forever can,t we coexist like good neighbourers when will sanity prervail.
Celebrating this win too much would mean Pakistan actually meaning more than what it is, which is not the case.
For me winning against the traditional rivals Australia is more important, than winning against Pakistan.
I didn't comment in the last thread after India lost by an inch because people can accuse me of sour grapes.
Here, I've come to say : Better luck next time, I'll eagerly wait for other more interesting contests.
@Ch. Allah Daad: You are right Chaudhary Sahib this is sports and we must take it in a sportsman sprit both tems can not win only one team is going to win/
@Rajesh: Before anything else you should first thank ET, Pakistan and us Pakistanis that you are freely giving comments in india's favor and against us here while we Pakistanis are effectively discouraged by indian news websites from commenting there and even still if a Pakistani manages to post comment on a indian news websites all the indians swarm on him/her abusing in worst expletives and cussing his/her religion, Pakistan and Pakistanis
It's not important that Pakistan lost to India. What's IMPORTANT is that we had our ROYAL SIFARSHI characters such as Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Bilawal Bhatti and above all the supposed captain Hafeez in the team, est is negligible trivia
Pakistan defeated India B team in Asia Cup. pakistan got defeated by India A team in T20 world cup.
Pakistan turned a 20 over match into a 11 over match with 51 dot balls. Pathetic display of batting. There is no place for Shoib Malik in the team and any one of Akmal brothers should be in the team. Maqsood should have been sent earlier. Anyways congrats to team India. Great display of batting prowess and professionalism.
Biggest of the big three thrashes smallest of the small two
Team India played like a professional outfit...congrats India.
Facts about the Match:- Game b/t India and Pakistan always a high pressure game and due to bounce and turning track Pakistan was unable to score a competitive one and even Pakistan was kind enough towards India because Indian's were wept badly when the lost the match against Pakistan in Asia Cup...So, we shouldn't be worry about anything b/c cricket is just a game... GOOD LUCK PAKISTAN FOR THE UPCOMING MATCHES
More then 12 hour old story.... There is much more happening on this world ET. open your eyes
Afridi after his poor performance should leave cricket, undertake cooking lessons, cook for the angry Pakistani women and eat along with them.
Where are all the Pakistani comments? After Mirpur, Indians were chastised for being conspicuous in their absence. But I understand. Although, most of the time I am able to look at a loss as just a game, it is hard to do so in Indo-Pak games.
Teams never won consistently with Ad-Hoc performance. I don't know why our nation including media makes huge hipe in India/Pakistan contest. I am sure if we have added 20 more runs (as per hafeez words) we would still have lost the game. 2 consecutive sixes in one game by Afridi made him a superman in our nation. He has a big flaw in his batting against fast bowlers and Dhoni took full advantage of it in this game. Nations / Teams win with a character. Everyone has to look up for its own performance and be accountable after words. God help us otherwise with i don't see any chance of our team to qualify for next round.
Pakistan team have some out dated, obsolete players with most of them on the wrong side of 30's where as Indian team consist of young and exuberant players.
Cool it guys its a game to be enjoyed this one was not that enjoyable the Afridi 6s was a more dramatic game .
Once gain Pakistan proved they are chockers when it comes to big ICC events against India. Another interesting thing is match was played on Friday .. Still they lost ..
Not including Fawad Alam in Pakistani side cost them to loose the match
@baloch Southall: The headline suggest how jubilant ET is on todays outcome of the match. Are you accusing ET to be a paid Indian agent now? Man, Pakistan is full of Indian agents and its websites funded by India :D "Boom boom brings India's doom" - was one of the news title in Times Of India after India lost to Pakistan in Asia cup. . You are either very ignorant blaming ET ... or smoking something funny.
It was certainly no revenge but only history repeating itself which Pakistan could not change. The body language of Pakistani team after losing the toss was enough to suggest the outcome of the match. India is not in the best of form but if manages to reach the final should pray that Pakistan also reaches the final and i maintains the unbeaten record of winning against the traditional rival in World Cup matches.
The toss decided the match - dhoni snatched the coin from referee as it was fixed and tossed it in own favour - I was at the stadium and saw it in front of my eyes. Indians team is full of cheaters.
India has shown again pakistan"s actual position.no matter how much u try to b India but in reality pakistan is dead.both as a nation n in cricket. A country so slow on growth that its still in the 80s.whether u like it or not India is a world champion team and Pakistan is at the bottom of the gutter.
Shere India at Shere Bangla Stadium +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Well Done India.Better luck next time Pakistan.
blatantly fixed match - thanks bcci
We should let Indian to play cricket and like cricket. Pak really need some good fast sports like Hockey and football.
Sweet revenge!
Aaj blue hai paani paani paani paani paani,
The team who won the toss will definitely have an advantage.
Feel Sad for Saeed Ajmal. He practices against Afridi & Akmal & bowls to Dhawan, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Yuvi.
Well, what can Pakistanis do, if only Afridi could stop focusing on that "bigger heart" of his and the tiny tiny greasy palms as a result of which he drops catches and can't hold hold a cricket bat properly.
i am a small hearted Indian who doesn't think that women should be locked up in homes to cook food.I told you so. Pakistan would be lucky to win any game with this sort of batting, fielding, and bowling. You don't win just relying on one bowler.
Haha...this how you let Pak win in unimportant games and then thrash them in world cups games when it truly matters...Clearly shows which is a better side, both mentally and cricketing prowess-wise.
Good to keep the record intact :)
Although this is not officially called a "World Cup", it is still worth mentioning the highly skewed results in favour of India. 9-0 in all-nation tournaments tells us a thing or two about Pakistani team's temperament when it comes under public pressure. Their batting yesterday showed just that. Even their bowling fades away on such occasions.
Before Indians get all hysterical about how great their so called 'Men in Blue' were last night, I need to point out that last night's game was an opening round game and our boys looked rusty. Also, the Indian team's record over the last year has been horrendous - losses against NZ, SA, Eng (4-0) and Aus (4-0). The indian team is a mediocre team who happened to perform yesterday because of the format of the game and nothing else. On any track outside the sub-continent and in a format such as ODI's or tests, this team wouldn't stand a chance against most teams bar for Bangladesh or Zimbabwe.
Come on guys, the game was rigged from the moment we won against India during the Asia cup. The BCCI has arm twisted the PCB and our team to ensure that we don't put our best foot forward. Chances are that the BCCI also bribed the Bangladesh authorities in preparing a wicket which is conducive to spin which has traditionally been advantageous to India. This consolation win means more to India especially to placate their masses who want to win by any hook or crook means.
After getting beaten in the ODI, the indian cricket team had to win this game and their government and respective cricket board left no stone unturned in ensuring their victory against us. It felt like we almost gifted the game away. A lot of suspicious events did take place during the game and the ICC's anti corruption body should thoroughly investigate this game. There is more to this game than meets the eye.
Well, everyone knows that the biggest of the so called 'Big 3' have enough financial resources to see to it that India wins.
Good match. Best team of the day won.
He got a residential plot from a land grabber for his "once in awhile" performance. He will perform again when he is ready to build it.
INDIA-9
PAKISTAN-0
There is no harm in calling spade a spade. India outclassed us in all areas of performances. It went into the match coolheaded and winning minded. Its batsman were formidable. Pakistan needs to revamp its cricket team , infuse young blood and do away with so called experienced members of the team , if we play with an inexperience team and lose, their is a rational behind it. We won't feel as frustrated losing.
Pacers are having rough time batters too cautious. But it is not end of the world . some new faces in spin department may be useful but who are you going to drop hafeez best all rounder, Afridi a match winner. Or aging great Saeed ajmal ? Perhaps a Pacer could be sidelined.
The match was lost the moment Shoaib and Kamran were included in the playing 11. The Satta mafia made a killing today.
We'll played India. The Better team on the day won. Pakistan needs to realize that they need to rotate the strike when under pressure just like Kohli and Raina did.
there is no need to use words like "revenge" in sports, as winning in sports is always about team that get their act together on a given day and play better than opponents. Its not that Indian team was scheming all this time about defeat in Mirpur.
What was going on against South African in the pre tournament warm up? Need to up your game significantly!!!!
One should refrain from the language of "revenge" in sports, as Dhoni correctly stated last year. And a 50 over match is not comparable with a T-20, even in world T-20. The Afridi sixes will always have a special place and that was a more important game in the context of that tournament. Someone should ban these players from talking to the media or watching any TV before India matches-they take unnecessary pressure and the already fragile batting essentially crumbles. That is why they always do worse in matches when there have been many days of build up before the match (like world cups, especially 2011), in contrast to the Asia cup game or bilateral series when there wasn't much time for the hype overkill in the media (which btw is really opportunistic to maximize revenues and silly). Congrats to India though for handling the pressure more maturely...Hope both these teams go through so there is a rematch in the final...
So the Bigg three or world cup champions won the game today; crowd support from Bangladeshi fans is also tilt towards India today And India or BCCI also continue the tradition in winning in big games or in ICC events
Looks like the moderators of ET operates from delhi. OUR green team will win next time ET. Your blue team won and we can all feel your excitement.
The toss decided the game as the chaser are mostly likely winner in this time of year in Bangladesh and India did not let it go,Congratulations to India!!!!
I wish I could say it was an entertaining match. But, Pakistan just did not put up a fight at all. Very anti-climax, very run-to-the-mill match. Kohli, Raina and our bowling unit made it look like a walk in the park. . A win is a win, nonetheless and I am glad we started our campaign with a comprehensive win.
The match was fixed by BCCI.
9-0 ... YES YES YES..... where are all the "biggest of BIG 3 bashers" ??? anyone? no one? :D
It was only a sport event..When Pakistan won, we did not start flying nor today we are going to jump into fire.
Biggest of Big Three humiliates Pakistan
No it is not true. Pakistan have beaten India in Champions Trophy which is a world event.
Order is restored!!
Thanks God fearless Pakistan decided not to win this one. Anyway it is just a game. Enjoy the cricket.