Team India clinched their second consecutive win of the T20 World Cup by narrowly defeating Pakistan, in a thrilling match.
The victory was hard-earned, requiring heroic bowling during the final overs to secure a historic defense. This win also elevated India to the top of Group Aโs points table.
After winning the toss, Pakistan chose to bowl first. India faced early setbacks, losing Virat Kohli (4) and Rohit Sharma (13) quickly, leaving them at 19/2.
However, solid performances from Rishabh Pant (42) and Axar Patel (20) helped stabilize the innings and steer the team out of immediate trouble, though the challenge was far from over.
Naseem Shah’s return to the attack left Axar Patel stunned as his stumps were rattled by a low delivery. Rishabh Pant continued to fight alongside Suryakumar Yadav, but once Yadav was dismissed by Haris Rauf for seven, India’s batting order began to collapse.
Pakistan capitalised on this momentum, swiftly bowling India out for 119. Pant emerged as the top scorer, with valuable contributions from Arshdeep Singh (9) and Mohammed Siraj (7) adding crucial runs to the total.
India defend lowest-ever score in a T20 game
To win the match, India had to defend their lowest-ever score in a T20 game. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan started cautiously since the target wasnโt daunting.
Rizwan had an early reprieve when Shivam Dube dropped a straightforward catch at deep fine leg while he was on 10.
Jasprit Bumrah provided the crucial breakthrough by inducing an edge from Babar Azam (13), which was well caught by Suryakumar Yadav in the slip cordon.
One more WIN, and this oneโฆ means a little more! ๐ฎ๐ณ
Letโs keep this going ๐ฅ @BCCI #T20WorldCup #INDPAK pic.twitter.com/G3aPTsl8O6โ Jay Shah (@JayShah) June 9, 2024
Despite Babar’s dismissal, Usman Khan (13) continued to support Rizwan, although both batsmen appeared overly cautious in their initial efforts.
Adding 31 runs for the second wicket, it was Usman Khan who fell victim to Axar Patel’s delivery that skidded off the surface, trapping him in front of the stumps. Fakhar Zaman (13) came in next and aggressively took on the Indian bowlers to increase the run rate.
However, Zaman’s aggression was short-lived as he mistimed a shorter delivery from Hardik Pandya, resulting in a catch for Rishabh Pant.
Jasprit Bumrah appreciation post! ๐ ๐
๐๐๐ ๐. ๐ผ. ๐ฝ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ซก ๐ซก
Scorecard โถ๏ธ https://t.co/M81mEjoub7#T20WorldCup | #TeamIndia | #INDvPAK | @Jaspritbumrah93 pic.twitter.com/QW4pyMcLlE
โ BCCI (@BCCI) June 9, 2024
Jasprit Bumrah then returned to the attack and made an immediate impact by dismissing Mohammad Rizwan with his first ball of the spell.
Bumrah breached Rizwan’s defenses, sending him back to the pavilion for a hard-fought 31 off 44 balls. Rizwan’s dismissal opened the door for India as they gained confidence in their chances of winning.
Rishabh Pant showcased his skill with another impressive catch, this time dismissing Shadab Khan for just four runs, adding to Pakistan’s troubles. With Shadab’s departure, Pakistan still needed 32 runs from 21 balls.
๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ป๐!
4โฃ2โฃ Runs & then, 3โฃ Catches! ๐ ๐
How good was he for #TeamIndia tonight! ๐ ๐
Scorecard โถ๏ธ https://t.co/M81mEjp20F#T20WorldCup | #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/oS9es9JIgF
โ BCCI (@BCCI) June 9, 2024
Rohit Sharma’s exceptional captaincy played a crucial role in this pivotal moment of the game. He displayed confidence in his bowlers, which proved to be decisive. Mohammed Siraj was brought into the attack in the 17th over and conceded only nine runs, keeping the game tight.
However, it was Jasprit Bumrah who turned the tide completely. He conceded just three runs in the penultimate over and also took the wicket of Iftikhar Ahmed.
Despite the threat of a collision with Suryakumar Yadav, Arshdeep Singh held on to the catch, sealing the victory for India.
Bumrah breathed absolute fire! ๐ฅ
He bagged his 2โฃnd Player of the Match award in a row in the #T20WorldCup as #TeamIndia bagged their 2โฃnd win in a row! ๐ ๐
Scorecard โถ๏ธ https://t.co/M81mEjp20F#INDvPAK | @Jaspritbumrah93 pic.twitter.com/jRT2qcPx9S
โ BCCI (@BCCI) June 9, 2024
Arshdeep Singh took on the challenge of bowling the final over, tasked with defending 18 runs. He made an immediate impact by dismissing Imad Wasim with his first delivery, thanks to a stunning catch by Rishabh Pant behind the stumps.
Although Naseem Shah managed to hit consecutive boundaries, it wasn’t enough to secure victory for Pakistan as India sealed a historic six-run win.
Jasprit Bumrah was awarded the Player of the Match for his exceptional performance, where he took three wickets for just 14 runs in his four overs.
