As expected, Shahid Afridi and his charges failed to break their World Cup jinx against India in Kolkata on March 19, 2016.
In-form Indian middle-order batsman Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten half century as his team cruised to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Pakistan in a World T20 match at Eden Gardens.
Pakistani women cricketers, however, provided relief to sports lovers back home by defeating a strong Indian outfit by two runs at New Delhi on the same day.
It is interesting to note that Pakistani and Indian men’s cricket teams launched their World T20 campaign in contrasting manner. Pakistan outplayed Bangladesh by 55 runs in their opening match while India suffered a shocking 47-run mauling at the hands of New Zealand at Nagpur.
After a comfortable victory against Bangladesh, it was expected that Pakistan would carry their winning momentum into the India match, but they failed to do so.
As usual, there was no proper planning and so many mistakes were made. None of the Pakistan batsmen looked confident. They remained confused and under pressure throughout their innings and ultimately let their team lose the key clash against India by six wickets.
It was Pakistan’s overall 11th World Cup match (six in 50-over World Cup and five in World T20) that went without carving out a victory against the neighbouring cricket superpower.
The two neighbours have a rich history of fierce battles on the cricket ground. While Pakistan enjoyed a considerable advantage in the overall One-day International head-to-head count, claiming 72 of the 126 battles, India possessed a 5-0 scoreline in the 50-over World Cup matches.
But in the T20s, the situation is altogether different and the Pakistan team is nowhere near India. Out of eight T20 matches between the two countries so far, India enjoyed outright dominance winning six matches against only one defeat.
By defeating Pakistan, pre-tournament favourites India put their campaign back on track, extending their jinx in major tournaments against Pakistan.
Chasing 119, India lost their top three batsmen early only to see Kohli and Yuvraj Singh put together a 61-run 4th-wicket partnership to help the hosts chase the target in 15.5 overs in a game reduced to 18 overs a side because of rain.
Pakistan veteran seamer M. Sami did make an impression by sending back Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina on successive deliveries but Pakistan's pace attack had no answers to Kohli's batting.
Yuvraj (24) fell to Wahab Riaz but Kohli was in cruise control as his 37-ball knock was laced by seven boundaries and a six.
Earlier, Ahmed Shehzad and Shoaib Malik played useful knocks to guide Pakistan to 118 for five, a score which looked competitive on a tricky surface.
Put in to bat, Pakistan openers Sharjeel Khan (17) and Shehzad (25) played cautiously at first and then lost their wickets as they tried to accelerate.
Fresh from his match-winning performance against Bangladesh, skipper Shahid Afridi promoted himself to number three but he failed to repeat his heroics when it mattered most.
The hard-hitting batsman could only find a single boundary in his scratchy 14-ball stay as he walked back amid loud cheers from the capacity crowd.
On the other hand, Pakistan women defeated India by two runs via D/L method to register their first victory in the World Twenty20 at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground. Pakistani girls put up a superb show to restrict India to 96 for seven in 20 overs. In reply, Pakistan were 70 for three in 14 overs, but the Indians raised hopes of a fight back by picking three wickets in the next two overs to leave Pakistan at 77/6 in 16 overs.
But the match was stopped due to rain, forcing the Duckworth and Lewis Method to come into the play which gave Pakistan team a narrow two-run victory.
Pakistan, who lost their previous match to the West Indies, were overjoyed with the win, while the Indians were disappointed as they failed to make it two wins out of two matches.
However, Pakistan bowlers deserved full credit for the way they bowled at the start against the Indians. By the end of the sixth over, India were struggling at seven for two wickets. The pressure was telling on skipper Mithali Raj as she was the third wicket to go after scoring 16 in 35 deliveries.
Then Harmanpreet Kaur (16) and Veda Krishnamurthy (24) tried their best but failed to accelerate as India were restricted to 96 for seven.
In pursuit of the low total, Pakistan were helped by Sidra Ameen (26) and Nahida Khan (14). Pakistan left-arm bowler Anam Amin was declared the Player of the Match as she proved to be the most economical bowler, conceding just 9 runs in four overs and claimed a wicket as well.
Earlier, Pakistan launched their World T20 campaign on a winning note through some responsible batting. Pakistan batting line-up, which had misfired frequently in recent matches, finally came together in their first match of the World T20 2016, to overpower Bangladesh by 55 runs.
Fifties from Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi’s 19-ball 49 propelled Pakistan to 201/5 against a side that had beaten them in their last two T20 encounters. This was only the second time Pakistan scored more than 200 in a T20 international. The previous instance was in April 2008, also against Bangladesh.
Opening pair of Shehzad and Sharjeel Khan was the fourth Pakistan has tried out in T20s this year. Sharjeel set the tone smashing two sixes and a four off Al-Amin Hossain in the second over. Sharjeel fell in the next over to Arafat Sunny but Hafeez walked in and found his touch immediately, with a straight six down the ground off his second ball.
By the end of the powerplay, Hafeez and Shehzad had similar scores before the latter pulled away and raced to his fifty off 35 balls. Shehzad fell in the 14th over after a 52-run knock off 39 balls and a 95-run 2nd-wicket partnership with Hafeez.
Afridi promoted himself to No. 4 to take advantage of the start. After Hafeez had reached his fifty in the 15th over, Afridi smacked two fours and a six off consecutive balls to produce an 18-run over. The pair took another 18 runs off Al-Amin’s next over, with Hafeez striking two fours and Afridi a straight six. Hafeez fell for 64 off 42 balls, immediately after striking his seventh four.
Afridi struck the big shots in the overs that followed, including a four and a six off Shakib in the penultimate over. He went into the last over on 49 off 18 balls. He was on the brink of the record for the fastest fifty by a Pakistan batsman in T20s, but he holed out to the deep square leg fielder and also missed his first T20I half-century since June 2012.
In reply, Bangladesh lost their opener Soumya Sarkar on the third ball of their chase on a Mohammad Amir delivery.
All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who was dropped by Shehzad at midwicket on 33, went on to reach his sixth T20 fifty in the last over. Rest of the Bangladeshi batsmen tried their best, but could not cope with Pakistan’s accurate bowling and growing run rate. They finished their chasing effort at 146 at the loss of six wickets.
In-form Indian middle-order batsman Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten half century as his team cruised to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Pakistan in a World T20 match at Eden Gardens.
Pakistani women cricketers, however, provided relief to sports lovers back home by defeating a strong Indian outfit by two runs at New Delhi on the same day.
It is interesting to note that Pakistani and Indian men’s cricket teams launched their World T20 campaign in contrasting manner. Pakistan outplayed Bangladesh by 55 runs in their opening match while India suffered a shocking 47-run mauling at the hands of New Zealand at Nagpur.
After a comfortable victory against Bangladesh, it was expected that Pakistan would carry their winning momentum into the India match, but they failed to do so.
As usual, there was no proper planning and so many mistakes were made. None of the Pakistan batsmen looked confident. They remained confused and under pressure throughout their innings and ultimately let their team lose the key clash against India by six wickets.
It was Pakistan’s overall 11th World Cup match (six in 50-over World Cup and five in World T20) that went without carving out a victory against the neighbouring cricket superpower.
The two neighbours have a rich history of fierce battles on the cricket ground. While Pakistan enjoyed a considerable advantage in the overall One-day International head-to-head count, claiming 72 of the 126 battles, India possessed a 5-0 scoreline in the 50-over World Cup matches.
But in the T20s, the situation is altogether different and the Pakistan team is nowhere near India. Out of eight T20 matches between the two countries so far, India enjoyed outright dominance winning six matches against only one defeat.
By defeating Pakistan, pre-tournament favourites India put their campaign back on track, extending their jinx in major tournaments against Pakistan.
Chasing 119, India lost their top three batsmen early only to see Kohli and Yuvraj Singh put together a 61-run 4th-wicket partnership to help the hosts chase the target in 15.5 overs in a game reduced to 18 overs a side because of rain.
Pakistan veteran seamer M. Sami did make an impression by sending back Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina on successive deliveries but Pakistan's pace attack had no answers to Kohli's batting.
Yuvraj (24) fell to Wahab Riaz but Kohli was in cruise control as his 37-ball knock was laced by seven boundaries and a six.
Earlier, Ahmed Shehzad and Shoaib Malik played useful knocks to guide Pakistan to 118 for five, a score which looked competitive on a tricky surface.
Put in to bat, Pakistan openers Sharjeel Khan (17) and Shehzad (25) played cautiously at first and then lost their wickets as they tried to accelerate.
Fresh from his match-winning performance against Bangladesh, skipper Shahid Afridi promoted himself to number three but he failed to repeat his heroics when it mattered most.
The hard-hitting batsman could only find a single boundary in his scratchy 14-ball stay as he walked back amid loud cheers from the capacity crowd.
On the other hand, Pakistan women defeated India by two runs via D/L method to register their first victory in the World Twenty20 at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground. Pakistani girls put up a superb show to restrict India to 96 for seven in 20 overs. In reply, Pakistan were 70 for three in 14 overs, but the Indians raised hopes of a fight back by picking three wickets in the next two overs to leave Pakistan at 77/6 in 16 overs.
But the match was stopped due to rain, forcing the Duckworth and Lewis Method to come into the play which gave Pakistan team a narrow two-run victory.
Pakistan, who lost their previous match to the West Indies, were overjoyed with the win, while the Indians were disappointed as they failed to make it two wins out of two matches.
However, Pakistan bowlers deserved full credit for the way they bowled at the start against the Indians. By the end of the sixth over, India were struggling at seven for two wickets. The pressure was telling on skipper Mithali Raj as she was the third wicket to go after scoring 16 in 35 deliveries.
Then Harmanpreet Kaur (16) and Veda Krishnamurthy (24) tried their best but failed to accelerate as India were restricted to 96 for seven.
In pursuit of the low total, Pakistan were helped by Sidra Ameen (26) and Nahida Khan (14). Pakistan left-arm bowler Anam Amin was declared the Player of the Match as she proved to be the most economical bowler, conceding just 9 runs in four overs and claimed a wicket as well.
Earlier, Pakistan launched their World T20 campaign on a winning note through some responsible batting. Pakistan batting line-up, which had misfired frequently in recent matches, finally came together in their first match of the World T20 2016, to overpower Bangladesh by 55 runs.
Fifties from Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi’s 19-ball 49 propelled Pakistan to 201/5 against a side that had beaten them in their last two T20 encounters. This was only the second time Pakistan scored more than 200 in a T20 international. The previous instance was in April 2008, also against Bangladesh.
Opening pair of Shehzad and Sharjeel Khan was the fourth Pakistan has tried out in T20s this year. Sharjeel set the tone smashing two sixes and a four off Al-Amin Hossain in the second over. Sharjeel fell in the next over to Arafat Sunny but Hafeez walked in and found his touch immediately, with a straight six down the ground off his second ball.
By the end of the powerplay, Hafeez and Shehzad had similar scores before the latter pulled away and raced to his fifty off 35 balls. Shehzad fell in the 14th over after a 52-run knock off 39 balls and a 95-run 2nd-wicket partnership with Hafeez.
Afridi promoted himself to No. 4 to take advantage of the start. After Hafeez had reached his fifty in the 15th over, Afridi smacked two fours and a six off consecutive balls to produce an 18-run over. The pair took another 18 runs off Al-Amin’s next over, with Hafeez striking two fours and Afridi a straight six. Hafeez fell for 64 off 42 balls, immediately after striking his seventh four.
Afridi struck the big shots in the overs that followed, including a four and a six off Shakib in the penultimate over. He went into the last over on 49 off 18 balls. He was on the brink of the record for the fastest fifty by a Pakistan batsman in T20s, but he holed out to the deep square leg fielder and also missed his first T20I half-century since June 2012.
In reply, Bangladesh lost their opener Soumya Sarkar on the third ball of their chase on a Mohammad Amir delivery.
All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who was dropped by Shehzad at midwicket on 33, went on to reach his sixth T20 fifty in the last over. Rest of the Bangladeshi batsmen tried their best, but could not cope with Pakistan’s accurate bowling and growing run rate. They finished their chasing effort at 146 at the loss of six wickets.
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