India script perfect beginning

A clinical India scripted a perfect start to their World T20 campaign with a commanding win over Pakistan in a Group 2 match of the Super 10 stage.

In a match devoid of the usual drama and tension that mark most of these arch-rivals’ encounter, India owed victory to the disciplined performance of their bowlers on a slow turner. After restricting Pakistan to a modest 130 for seven, India suffered few hiccups en route their 131/3 in 18.3 overs for a comprehensive seven-wicket win here at the packed Sher-e-Bangla stadium on Friday.

 With the dew expected to be crucial as the night grew, India had little hesitation in opting to bowl first. Having packed the side with three specialist spinners to go with three part-timers, it was also critical that India hit it lucky with the spin of coin. Once Dhoni ensured that job, his bowlers obliged him by keeping the explosive Pakistani batting under check.

India’s chase got off to a solid start with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, without being ultra aggressive, putting on 54 runs between them for the opening stand in exactly eight overs. Rohit slammed Junaid Khan for a six and a four in one over while Dhawan carted Saeed Ajmal for three fours in four balls as India appeared to be in a great hurry to finish the proceedings.

Dhawan’s old failing against the short-pitched stuff gobbled him up. Rohit, the more fluent of the two on the night, played Ajmal on to stumps as he misjudged the turn. And it wasn’t long before Bilawal Bhatti sent Yuvraj Singh’s off-stump flying. From a comfortable 54 for no loss India slipped to 65/3 but it wasn’t still a situation to press the panic button.

India’s most trusted batsman these days, Virat Kohli (36 n.o., 32b, 4x4, 1x6), and the in-from Suresh Raina (35 n.o., 28b, 4x4, 1x6) put on 66 runs for the unbroken fourth-wicket partnership to steer their team home without much fuss from there.

Opening the bowling, R Ashwin set the tone for the innings with a tidy over. Bhuvneshwar Kumar further squeezed Pakistan, running out the dangerous Kamran Akmal with a direct hit after the batsman’s mix-up with non-striker Shahzad Ahmed. Having pegged Pakistan back early in the innings, Dhoni kept up the pressure on their batsmen with a clever mix of faster and slower bowlers.

 Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed, after spending some watchful moments, began to free their arms. Hafeez earned a reprieve as well when a diving Yuvraj Singh grassed him early in his stay but just when he appeared to make India pay for that fielding lapse, Ravindra Jadeja struck to remove the Pakistani skipper. Amit Mishra, drafted in the side in place of a paceman, pushed Pakistani further on to the backfoot with a classic big leg-spinner that left an advancing Ahmed for Dhoni to complete the easiest of stumpings.
 

On a slow pitch where the odd ball turned big, Pakistan found it difficult to pace the innings. The returning Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal set about the repair job with a judicious mix of caution and aggression. The duo added 50 runs for the fourth wicket in seven overs to raise hopes of a competitive total with some big hitters to follow.

All those hopes, however, evaporated into the smoky sky as the Indian bowlers struck regularly. While spinners – Ashwin, Mishra and Ravindra Jadeja – gave away just 63 runs between them in 12 overs, the pacers complemented them admirably. Barring the final over, when Shoaib Maqsood took Mohammad Shami for 15 runs, they were both economical and incisive.