ICC World Cup 2023: India beat Pakistan by 7 wickets

Ahmedabad, The Gulf Observer: Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav triggered a stunning Pakistan collapse and shared four wickets in India’s dominant victory over its archrival at the Cricket World Cup on Saturday.

The seven-wicket win in front of a crowd of more than 100,000 fans at Narendra Modi Stadium was India’s eighth consecutive victory over Pakistan in World Cups in a streak that began in 1992.

Bumrah took 2-19 in seven overs and Yadav picked up 2-35 in 10 overs as Pakistan crashed from 155-2 (29.3 overs) to 191 all out in 42.5 overs with five of India’s six bowlers taking two wickets each.

Then, India skipper Rohit Sharma blazed a 36-ball half-century as India raced to the victory line with almost 20 overs to spare.

Sharma scored 86 runs off 63 balls, including six fours and six sixes, as India finished with 192-3 in 30.3 overs.

“The bowlers set up the game for us today. It was not a 190 pitch – at one stage, it looked like a 280 score,” Sharma said. “Whoever gets the ball does the job for us. That’s something we pride ourselves in.”

India leads with six points — ahead of New Zealand on net run-rate — after three straight wins. Pakistan, after its first loss of the tournament, has four points from three games and is fourth in the points table.

Chasing 192, fit-again Shubman Gill set a hectic pace as he struck four boundaries to score 16 off 11 balls. His timing was impeccable before Shaheen Afridi (2-36) cut short his comeback innings, and he was caught at backward point.

Sharma and Virat Kohli (16) then added 56 off 42 balls for the second wicket. They didn’t offer any chances for Pakistan to make the game interesting.

Kohli was out against the run of play — a false pull shot off Hasan Ali caught at mid-on in the 10th over.

Sharma added 77 off 71 balls with Shreyas Iyer for the third wicket, as India reached 100 in only 13.5 overs.

The Indian skipper fell 14 short of an eighth World Cup hundred — caught at midwicket off a slower delivery from Afridi. Iyer and Lokesh Rahul (19 not out) didn’t suffer any further hiccups, adding 36 runs for the unbeaten fourth wicket.

Iyer eased his way to 53 not out off 62 balls, including three fours and two sixes, the last of which rang in India’s victory.