Welcome back for the chase. The players are out in the middle. Amir to open the bowling. Can he produce something similar to what he did in the Asia Cup?
Malik: "Well it was tough, but I scored some runs for my side which is a great sign. We have something to defend, pitch is not easy to score freely. If we score 120, we can give a tough time to the Indians. It is not easy to play the big shots, place your shots in the gaps for singles and doubles and score off the bad ball. Honestly no (when asked if he was surprised with the amount of spin the pitch took), even the first match against Bangladesh was turning, but not as this much. It is not the curator's fault, it is the weather's and it is not in your control. It is not going to be easy to chase this total."
There's no doubt both teams have erred in reading this pitch. India didn't play the extra spinner. Also, for once, Dhoni's use of part-timers was questionable. Surely he underbowled them. That point is only vindicated on having a glance at Bumrah's and Pandya's figures. Meanwhile, Pakistan have four seamers in their artillery. FOUR seamers on a spin paradise. Will it cost them?
It's not often that we get to use common sense and a Pakistani batting lineup in the same sentence. But they showed good application at the top (except Sharjeel). Focus was to build along steadily and not aiming too high which can be a trap. The run rate meandered along and wasn't great but they didn't panic. Afridi promoted himself, played a labourous 14-ball 8. They didn't panic. Then Malik came along and showed his class being the protagonist of a 41-run partnership (off 24 balls) with Umar Akmal.
Pakistan have put up a very competitive score on this monster of a pitch. Such a priceless partnership between Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal, coming at a rapid rate given how difficult it is to bat out there. The sinister nature of this track became pretty apparent when Ashwin turned it square with the new ball. Huge huge turn, the kind which renders the skill level of a batsman irrelevant and shoves the game to a no-contest. All bets off. Real shame after all the grandiloquence of the buildup. Anyway, let's not allow the curator to steal the spotlight.
I don't want to sound pedantic here. But let me reiterate - this isn't a T20I pitch. Not even an ODI pitch for that matter. How can you expect a decent contest between bat and ball when the ball is turning six inches and we don't even have a ripping spinner like a Shane Warne or a Murali on display. Heard on air that Sourav Ganguly too was surprised as to how the pitch has behaved today. But a very poor advertisement for cricket and it is happening in a T20 WC game between India and Pakistan. Such a high-profile game, spoiled and at the mercy of a dubious pitch. Let's see what the pitch-happy has to say about this track! With that I rest my case and give my bleeding fingers a well-deserved rest
17.6 -
Bumrah to Hafeez, leg byes, 1 run, down leg again, another slower ball short delivery, Hafeez early into the slog, off the body and they take a leg-bye as the ball runs to the left of MS. That's the end of the innings
17.5 -
Bumrah to Sarfraz, byes, 1 run, "MS you have thrown that wide" says Nasser Hussain on air! Perfectly put. Sarfraz swings and misses as another slower delivery is delivered by Bumrah, the ball goes over the stumps and they sneak in a bye. Hafeez is very quick and got there as MS flinged it well wide of the stumps
17.4 -
Bumrah to Hafeez, 1 run, hat-trick of slower balls, Hafeez kneels down and plays a sweep to deep backward square leg, just the single
17.3 -
Bumrah to Hafeez, 2 runs, I heard "bowler, bowler" as soon as the shot was played. Another heave to leg, placed wide of Ravindra Jadeja and it is a comfortable two
17.2 -
Bumrah to Sarfraz, 1 run, now the slower delivery, Sarfraz is setting himself up for a big heave to leg, is early into the slog, gets a single to deep mid-wicket. These cutters are working well on this wicket
17.1 -
Bumrah to Hafeez, 1 run, low full toss on off, drilled straight to the fielder at long-off
Jasprit Bumrah [3.0-0-27-1] is back into the attack
16.6 -
Nehra to Sarfraz, no run, I heard a "come on yaar" from Sarfraz to the square leg umpire. After that wasn't given as wide. The slower short ball from Nehra, Sarfraz early into the pull and the square leg umpire is ok with the height. MS is ready for an under-arm flick if the batsmen attempt a bye. No such thing as Sarfraz has issues to deal with the square leg umpire. Wonder what Richard Kettleborough had to say. If Gunner Gould was there, he would've dealt with it, with a smile and a joke
16.5 -
Nehra to Sarfraz, FOUR, quick thinking from Sarfraz and four. Shuffles outside off and takes it on the full, knows where the field is and the ball runs away to the deep backward square leg fence. Now what will Nehra do?
Waqar Younis and Grant Flower look a bit pensive in the dug-out
16.4 -
Nehra to Hafeez, 1 run, low full toss outside off, Hafeez kneels down and paddles it to deep backward square leg
16.3 -
Nehra to Sarfraz, 1 run, Sarfraz is early into the shot, the ball takes the inside edge and ricochets into pad, the ball rolls back down the wicket. They scramble a single
Mohammad Hafeez, right handed bat, comes to the crease
16.2 -
Nehra to Shoaib Malik, out Caught by Ashwin!! So nearly popped out of Ashwin's hands at short fine leg. The short delivery, cramps Shoaib Malik for room on the pull and he gets a spiralling top edge which is held. End of a cameo. But is it enough is the big question. Malik rehearses his shot as he walks back. Replays show that he was well outside his crease and swivelled on the shot. Shoaib Malik c Ashwin b Nehra 26(16) [4s-3 6s-1]
Nehra to Shoaib Malik, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
16.1 -
Nehra to Shoaib Malik, 2 runs, Shoaib Malik makes room and then takes a step out to guide the slower delivery on the stumps, square on the off-side, runs hard and comes back for the second
Ashish Nehra [3.0-0-12-0] is back into the attack
15.6 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Sarfraz, 2 runs, the leading edge and goes tantalisingly over Ravindra Jadeja's head. Sarfraz early into the flick and the ball stopped on his shot, but he gets away
Sarfraz Ahmed, right handed bat, comes to the crease
15.5 -
Ravindra Jadeja to U Akmal, out Caught by Dhoni!! Quick and flat outside off, Akmal went for the cut and feathered an edge. MS is good and immediately throws the ball up in celebration. Even Akmal knew he had got bat on that and walked. Replays show Akmal was looking to play the late cut and got a toe end. He swings the bat into the turf in frustration as he walks back. U Akmal c Dhoni b Ravindra Jadeja 22(16) [4s-1 6s-1]
Ravindra Jadeja to U Akmal, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
15.4 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Shoaib Malik, 1 run, now comes down the track and has to adjust for the turn, does so by playing it softly into the off-side for a single
15.3 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Shoaib Malik, FOUR, Shoaib Malik is playing a beautiful blinder. Wonder what Sania Mirza will make of all this. But that is besides the point, isn't it? But I have to say what I have to. What a wonderful sweep that is, one on his knees and swept that powerfully down to the deep square leg fence, beat the fielder easily. Malik always seems to play well against India! No Indian has found out the exact reason why, maybe Mirza has the answer. But we never know! Gentle reminder: the above description to be taken in the right spirit!
15.2 -
Ravindra Jadeja to U Akmal, 1 run, skids on, on the stumps, Akmal defends to backward point and takes the single
15.1 -
Ravindra Jadeja to U Akmal, no run, look at that spin and turn, and stop as well. Akmal went back and carefully defended it back to the bowler. Hint of a leading edge, but the ball doesn't carry back to Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja [3.0-0-12-0] is back into the attack
14.6 -
Bumrah to Shoaib Malik, no run, low full toss outside off, Shoaib Malik mistimes it back to Bumrah who is a disappointed soul
14.5 -
Bumrah to Shoaib Malik, FOUR, another full toss and Shoaib Malik won't miss out. Flicked wristily over the square leg umpire and beats the deep fielder. The Pakistani camp are all smiles and clapping
14.4 -
Bumrah to Shoaib Malik, FOUR, that has sped to the fence. Low full toss outside off, Shoaib Malik drilled that hard and even though Dhawan at sweeper cover had a few metres to cover to his right, couldn't get there despite a dive. Such was the pace on the shot. Not even a fingertip on that
14.3 -
Bumrah to U Akmal, 1 run, slower delivery outside off, Akmal cuts and finds backward point
14.2 -
Bumrah to Shoaib Malik, 1 run, well bowled. Full and outside off, Shoaib Malik reaches out and squeezes out a drive square of the wicket, just a single
14.2 -
Bumrah to U Akmal, no ball, 1 run, Bumrah grimaces but Gould has got it right. There was nothing behind the line when Bumrah landed his heel. It nipped in and struck Akmal on the thigh, he didn't want to take the single, but has to as Shoaib Malik is already halfway down the wicket. Akmal wanted to be on strike for the free-hit
14.1 -
Bumrah to Shoaib Malik, 1 run, Shoaib Malik stays back, it is full outside off, slapped square of the wicket for a single
Jasprit Bumrah [2.0-0-14-1] is back into the attack
13.6 -
Pandya to U Akmal, SIX, now Akmal repeats the dose to Pandya. Again the slower delivery, well outside off, but Akmal has seen it early and hoicks a flat hit over wide long-on. It skimmed over the rope. Pakistan getting some much needed momentum. Pandya just hangs his head down, fiddles with his neckchain as he walks back disappointed
13.5 -
Pandya to Shoaib Malik, 1 run, full toss on the stumps, was it above the waist? No. Swung away to deep mid-wicket, straight to the fielder
13.4 -
Pandya to Shoaib Malik, SIX, that has been tonked. Shoaib Malik picked the slower delivery around off and smashed it way back into the deep mid-wicket stands. Pandya knows he has missed his length, grimaces. First six of the game
13.3 -
Pandya to Shoaib Malik, no run, Pandya is using the short ball to great effect. Gould calls it one for the over. Dug in short, Shoaib Malik was on the front foot to pull but left it alone, seeing it loop over his shoulder
13.2 -
Pandya to U Akmal, 1 run, slower short ball outside off, Akmal had to wait for it and then bring his bat down on the cut, the ball finds short third
13.1 -
Pandya to Shoaib Malik, 1 run, short of length on the stumps, pushed to mid-on for a single
Benefit of doubt to the Pakistan team. Why? Because even the curator wouldn't have expected this pitch to dance like a snake. So the decision to play four seamers may prove to be a mistake but then they don't have a quality spinner like Ajmal or Babar to make full use of this track. Imad Wasim is more of a darter and rarely spins the ball
12.6 -
Nehra to Shoaib Malik, 1 run, low full toss outside off, driven to sweeper cover
12.5 -
Nehra to Shoaib Malik, no run, Shoaib Malik isn't happy that it wasn't called a wide. Meanwhile Nehra smiles as he knows it was close to taking the edge. Slower one outside off, Malik flays and misses the square drive, the ball goes over the top of the bat. Just inside the guideline
12.4 -
Nehra to Shoaib Malik, no run, fullish on middle and leg, clipped straight to the fielder at short mid-wicket
12.3 -
Nehra to U Akmal, 1 run, slower one outside off, guided down to short third man, for an easy single
12.2 -
Nehra to U Akmal, no run, good cricket all-around. Full outside off, Akmal gets forward and drives superbly, but Rohit at cover dives to his right and stops at least two. Went full length parallel to the ground and produced the stop. Kohli applauds the effort by clapping
12.1 -
Nehra to U Akmal, no run, shortish outside off, slapped straight to the fielder at cover where Rohit fields
Ashish Nehra [2.0-0-10-0] is back into the attack
11.6 -
Pandya to U Akmal, 5 runs, now India have appealed. For a run-out. But Shoaib Malik is well in. And it has run away for four more. The slower delivery outside off, dabbed to backward point, Jadeja was the fielder there, he unnecessarily shies and gives away four more. Pandya is puzzled while MS - the canny old fox, takes some time away from the game by going for the appeal. Malik was just in and the throw ricocheted after hitting the stumps, deep mid-wicket couldn't get there. Perhaps he didn't expect the ball to come there. Anyway bonus runs for Pakistan and they wouldn't mind it
Shoaib Malik, right handed bat, comes to the crease
11.5 -
Pandya to Afridi, out Caught by Kohli!! A one-handed mistimed loft and straight to the fielder at long-on. Can't expect someone like Afridi to time the ball on this. With all due respect to him. I can see only KW, Laxman and perhaps Damien Martyn to adapt to such a track and look at ease on this Eden Gardens wicket. This was bowled outside off, Afridi slogs and lost all timing on the lofted hit, holes out. Afridi c Kohli b Pandya 8(14) [4s-1]
Pandya to Afridi, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
11.4 -
Pandya to Afridi, no run, very high bouncer outside off, Afridi hooks and misses. Had to fetch it from outside off and that's why he missed. Not too high to be called a wide either
11.3 -
Pandya to U Akmal, 1 run, waits for the slower delivery and opens the face of the bat to guide it to short third man
11.2 -
Pandya to U Akmal, FOUR, fine shot. Short outside off and looked like Akmal was waiting for it, forehanded the pull. Hits it with lots of power and it rocketed away wide of long-on. Again the crowd go silent
11.1 -
Pandya to Afridi, leg byes, 1 run, Pandya bangs one in, Afridi is early into the pull, misses, off the body and a leg-bye
Hardik Pandya, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
I'm sorry! But this is not a T20I pitch. Totally doctored to suit the spinners. Can't expect an even contest on this. "A shame and pitch a bit of a letdown" says Sanjay Manjrekar on air and I completely agree. Looks like the groundsman got strict orders from above to produce a pitch like this. And to produce a pitch like this for a T20 WC event speaks poorly about the host nation
10.6 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Afridi, 1 run, now Afridi opens the face of the bat and angles one wide of backward point for a single
10.5 -
Ravindra Jadeja to U Akmal, 1 run, full on the stumps, squeezed out of a thick outer half on the drive, wide of cover
10.4 -
Ravindra Jadeja to U Akmal, no run, beaten again. What else. MS is quick to whip the bails off but Akmal was safely in
10.3 -
Ravindra Jadeja to U Akmal, no run, now Afridi is sent back by Akmal. The ball runs towards short third man, Afridi is desperate to get on strike but the ball has gone straight to the fielder, so he has to rush back and does so
10.2 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Afridi, 1 run, very full and lofted to long-off, well in front of the fielder
10.1 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Afridi, no run, "unplayable, can't do anything about it." Is Wasim Akram's explanation on air. Perfectly put, pitches outside off and rips past the outside edge of Afridi. How can you play that?
9.6 -
Bumrah to Afridi, 1 run, even the seamers are bowling spin now. This cutter stops on the pitch and Afridi's attempt to turn to leg, produces a thick edge that lands safely at short mid-wicket. They take a single
9.5 -
Bumrah to Afridi, no run, now Afridi is sent back after mistiming a pull to backward square leg. Dhawan was there and Akmal spotted that and sent his captain back
9.4 -
Bumrah to Afridi, no run, Bumrah has his hands on his head. So nearly bowled Afridi there. Fantastic slower delivery, completely deceived Afridi who swung to leg, too early and the ball looped over the stumps
9.3 -
Bumrah to Afridi, FOUR, Afridi will have a go. That's why he has come in at 3. He wants to make a statement out there. Gets a bit lucky that time, gets a top edge on the pull, since the pace of Bumrah is there, the ball flies away to the fine leg fence, one bounce over the ropes
Umar Akmal, right handed bat, comes to the crease
9.2 -
Bumrah to Ahmed Shehzad, out Caught by Ravindra Jadeja!! And he responds well. Taking Ahmed Shehzad's wicket. Helped by a brainless slog to leg from the opener. After getting a boundary he gets greedy, tries to heave a length delivery to leg and the thick edge loops to backward point where Jadeja goes to his right to grab that. Never in danger of dropping that. Ahmed Shehzad c Ravindra Jadeja b Bumrah 25(28) [4s-3]
Bumrah to Ahmed Shehzad, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
9.1 -
Bumrah to Ahmed Shehzad, FOUR, nicely done! Ahmed Shehzad kneels down and picks the fuller length delivery from outside off and then scoops over short fine. He was inside the ring and Shehzad played that to perfection. Knew where the fielder was and placed it over him. Now the pressure is on Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah [1.0-0-5-0] is back into the attack
Thanks Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Thank you. For bringing in Bumrah. Whew! That was breakneck speed when Ravindra Jadeja and Raina were bowling. How on earth is a text commentator expected to do justice when the duo are bowling at the speed of light. And this is a square turner. As Bumble would say - every ball is an event. The toughest job in cricket!
8.6 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Afridi, no run, now the leading edge eludes slip. Dangerous to play to leg while the ball is turning across you. Floated up on middle and leg, Afridi flicks and the edge flies safely to backward point
8.5 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Ahmed Shehzad, 1 run, flat on middle and leg, clipped to deep square leg, for a single
8.4 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Afridi, 1 run, no he doesn't. Fired in quicker on the stumps, pushed in the gap at cover. Sensible stuff
8.3 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Afridi, no run, and again. Closer to off and Afridi is not forward to play that. Opts to play back and is beaten neck and crop. Did well to miss that. Nervy times for Afridi. Will he slog?
8.2 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Afridi, no run, first ball to Afridi and he is beaten. Too much turn for Ravindra Jadeja for Afridi to do anything, it pitched outside off and spun past his edge
8.1 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Ahmed Shehzad, 1 run, very full on the stumps, softly jammed out to leg
7.6 -
Raina to Ahmed Shehzad, leg byes, 1 run, no chance of that being given out lbw. Ahmed Shehzad was almost halfway down the track as he missed the clip to leg, looked adjacent with the stumps but Kettleborough just walks away. They take a leg-bye
7.5 -
Raina to Ahmed Shehzad, no run, Ahmed Shehzad is dancing around the crease, yet again he manages to get bat as he is beaten in flight. Pushes it back to the bowler
Shahid Afridi, right handed bat, comes to the crease
7.4 -
Raina to Sharjeel Khan, out Caught by Pandya!! Has he taken it? Yes he has. What a superb catch that is. Sharjeel Khan is unsure but he walks off. Tremendous running catch from a fine athlete. We have seen Pandya's ability in the field and this is another demonstration of his raw talent. The short-arm pull from Sharjeel, what else does he have when the length is short? Predictably he splices it as the ball skids on, it looked like it was falling short, but Pandya ran in and tumbled forward to take a diving catch with two hands. Was in pain for a moment as he seemed to have injured himself. Is surrounded by his mates. But looks ok. Sharjeel Khan c Pandya b Raina 17(24) [4s-2]
Raina to Sharjeel Khan, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
7.3 -
Raina to Ahmed Shehzad, 1 run, again uses his feet and flays it to deep backward point for a single
7.2 -
Raina to Ahmed Shehzad, 2 runs, Ahmed Shehzad comes down the track and slices the lofted hit, luckily the ball lands wide of long-off. For a moment it looked like Shehzad had holed out, but gets lucky
7.1 -
Raina to Sharjeel Khan, 1 run, clipped from the stumps to deep square leg
Suresh Raina, right-arm off break, comes into the attack
6.6 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Ahmed Shehzad, no run, ooh! Ahmed Shehzad nearly runs past that. Comes down the track and is beaten in the flight, but angles the bat and guides it away to the off-side. Did well because had he not got bat, MS was in business
6.5 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Ahmed Shehzad, no run, loud shout for lbw. But Gould shakes his head. This is the straighter delivery, but it slid on and would've gone down leg. Ahmed Shehzad missed the defence. That is the ball to bowl on a turning track. Ravindra Jadeja is an expert in that
6.4 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Ahmed Shehzad, FOUR, lucky but gets four. Ravindra Jadeja is unhappy. Guided wide of the diving slip and it races away
6.3 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Ahmed Shehzad, no run, what a ball. How do you play that? Harsha Bhogle on air is right when he asks whether this is a T20 game or not. Pitches on middle and spins past the tentative blade of Shehzad who was looking to guide it off the back foot. Should've come forward but misjudged the length
6.2 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Sharjeel Khan, leg byes, 1 run, Sharjeel Khan kneels down to sweep and misses, the ball rolls off the pad and they take a leg-bye. No appeal as Sharjeel was struck outside the line of off
6.1 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Sharjeel Khan, no run, no bat and straight off the pad, before being caught by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Clear not out and the appeal is negated. It spun in from middle, and the bat was well behind the pad as Sharjeel leant forward to defend
6.1 -
Ravindra Jadeja to Sharjeel Khan, wide, pitches outside leg and turns again. MS does well to collect
Ravindra Jadeja, left-arm orthodox, comes into the attack
5.6 -
Ashwin to Sharjeel Khan, 1 run, flat on the stumps, clipped to deep mid-wicket
5.5 -
Ashwin to Sharjeel Khan, no run, fabulous bowling. Slower, looped up outside off, turns a long way and beats Sharjeel Khan's nervous neither here nor there push. Ashwin knows he has Sharjeel in his back pocket and sticks his tongue out. Absolute swagger from the Tamil Nadu man
5.4 -
Ashwin to Ahmed Shehzad, 1 run, second time in two overs that Ahmed Shehzad is surprised by the amount of turn on offer. Is rocking back to cut a much fuller ball, pre-meditated and that's the problem with pre-meditation - you cannot change your shot. Again the ball hits the bat and rolls away to cover
5.3 -
Ashwin to Sharjeel Khan, 1 run, nicely floated up on middle, Sharjeel Khan gets a sort of a thick outer edge on the forward defence, but the ball rolls in the gap at cover-point. They take a single
5.2 -
Ashwin to Ahmed Shehzad, 1 run, now uses his feet and drives to long-on
5.1 -
Ashwin to Ahmed Shehzad, no run, floated up outside off, steered straight to the fielder at short third man
4.6 -
Bumrah to Sharjeel Khan, FOUR, that will help. Surely will. Rare bad delivery from Bumrah, full and allows Sharjeel Khan to free his arms, thrashed through cover. No footwork again but a bit like S Ramesh - the former Indian opener who treated Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis with scant respect despite not moving his feet. He didn't survive long in international cricket, went on to act in a Tamil movie as well. Let's see how Sharjeel goes? Excuse me for the comparison!
4.5 -
Bumrah to Sharjeel Khan, no run, Bumrah bowls a well-disguised slower delivery outside off, completely fools a pre-meditated pull to leg. The ball stays low and beats the shot. He looks nervous too as he adjusts his helmet
4.4 -
Bumrah to Sharjeel Khan, no run, full and on the stumps, nearly catches Sharjeel Khan off-guard. His feet didn't move at all and somehow got an inside edge onto the pad on the defence
4.3 -
Bumrah to Sharjeel Khan, no run, and again. What is he up to? When the length is anything but full, he swipes to leg. This is too pacy and goes under the inside edge of the bat. Poor batting
4.2 -
Bumrah to Sharjeel Khan, no run, Sharjeel Khan is struggling. He wants to pull every delivery to leg. This is angled across him on a back of a length and still he goes for the short-arm jab, splices it and falls short of Rohit at mid-on. He needs to rotate the strike more often. Tends to play in one gear only
4.1 -
Bumrah to Ahmed Shehzad, 1 run, back of a length outside off, Ahmed Shehzad cuts to third man
Jasprit Bumrah, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
3.6 -
Ashwin to Ahmed Shehzad, 1 run, this is turning a mile! An absolute mile. Look at that delivery, Ahmed Shehzad was on the back foot to cut and was almost taken back by the spin on offer, it turned in and he awkwardly jabbed it to leg. The ball hit the bat rather than the other way around. Caught Shehzad by total surprise
Mindgames from Ashwin! He stops in his delivery stride after seeing Ahmed Shehzad advance. Let's see what Shehzad will do now?
3.5 -
Ashwin to Ahmed Shehzad, no run, very full on off, dug out
3.4 -
Ashwin to Ahmed Shehzad, FOUR, magnificent shot. That is trademark Ahmed Shehzad. Comes down and then to the pitch before lofting it over mid-on. Hit really well and again the ball races across the quick outfield. Confident blow that
3.3 -
Ashwin to Sharjeel Khan, 1 run, now pushes at a flatter delivery outside off and the thick edge runs wide of slip. He is off strike and that is good news for Pakistan
3.2 -
Ashwin to Sharjeel Khan, no run, ooh! Now a leading edge. But drops safely in front of point. The ball stopped and turned on Sharjeel Khan who was on the back foot to defend, got squared up and pushed out limply, thankfully for him, the edge didn't carry
3.1 -
Ashwin to Ahmed Shehzad, 1 run, flatter outside off, Ahmed Shehzad cuts and gets a single to cover-point
Already Pakistan seem to have learnt their lessons from the Asia Cup debacle against India. They aren't going hell for leather from ball one. Instead aiming for a target in mind and treating the ball on merit. But have they made a folly by going in with four pacers on a pitch which is turning square? Only time will tell
2.6 -
Nehra to Sharjeel Khan, FOUR, well played. The crowd have gone silent momentarily. Sharjeel Khan picked the slower delivery on middle and heaved it over backward square leg, no-one there and that will be the first boundary of the game
2.5 -
Nehra to Ahmed Shehzad, 1 run, clipped to the right of Raina at mid-wicket, a diving half-stop but that draws appreciation from Neeta Ambani and Anjali Tendulkar in the crowd
2.4 -
Nehra to Ahmed Shehzad, no run, Nehra is having the wood over Shehzad. Once again Shehzad is early into the drive, then has to adjust as he spotted the cutter, dabbed towards cover. Did well not to go hard on the stroke, if he had he may hit it in the air
2.3 -
Nehra to Ahmed Shehzad, no run, fullish around off, Ahmed Shehzad gets forward and pushes softly towards mid-off
The slip has gone out
2.2 -
Nehra to Sharjeel Khan, 1 run, fullish on the stumps, Sharjeel Khan flicks wide of mid-on for an easy single
2.1 -
Nehra to Ahmed Shehzad, 1 run, another cutter on the middle and leg line, Ahmed Shehzad nudges it softly to short fine leg
1.6 -
Ashwin to Ahmed Shehzad, byes, 1 run, this is a superb opening over from Ashwin. Now beats Ahmed Shehzad all ends up and nearly takes out the off stump. Stays round the wicket and the ball drifts across Shehzad who was pushing forward to defend, once it pitches, it rips in and misses off by a kitten's whisker. MS couldn't glove it properly and they take a bye after the ricochet eludes a leaping Raina at leg-slip. That opening over from Ashwin should force MS to bring in more spin
1.5 -
Ashwin to Sharjeel Khan, 1 run, pushed off the back foot wide of mid-on for a single. Played that well
1.4 -
Ashwin to Sharjeel Khan, no run, this is the carrom ball, seams in towards Sharjeel Khan who defends off the back foot
1.3 -
Ashwin to Sharjeel Khan, no run, and again. This pitch is turning. Superb delivery, pitches outside off and turns a mile, beating the outside edge by a long way. Sharjeel Khan was nowhere in line to play that. Lovely loop and revs from Ashwin
1.2 -
Ashwin to Sharjeel Khan, no run, what a ball! Pitched on middle and spun like a boomerang. Afridi in the dug-out smiles. This is a ripper, drew Sharjeel Khan forward and then beat the groping forward defence, MS was quick to whip the bails off but the batsman went nowhere
Ashwin from round the wicket with a slip in
1.1 -
Ashwin to Sharjeel Khan, no run, down leg, poor delivery but Sharjeel Khan can only tickle it straight to the fielder at short fine. Should've put that away
Ravichandran Ashwin, right-arm off break, comes into the attack
0.6 -
Nehra to Ahmed Shehzad, no run, look at that sly smile from Nehra. He knows he has done Ahmed Shehzad in completely there. But the ball doesn't carry back to him in his followthrough. Was the cutter, Shehzad was tentative and didn't pick it, stabbed at it from the crease and since he arrested the stroke, allied to the fact that the Eden Gardens wicket is a slow one, it didn't carry back to the bowler. Then Nehra flashes his wide grin at Shehzad who is stoic. Terrific change of pace from Nehra
0.5 -
Nehra to Ahmed Shehzad, no run, dangerous from Ahmed Shehzad! Had he missed that, he was dead in front. Swinging in towards off and middle, he shuffled across and got bat on the flick, finds Yuvraj at square leg
0.4 -
Nehra to Sharjeel Khan, 1 run, he is on the back foot looking for anything short. This isn't. On a back of a length and cramping him up, he swivels and mistimes the pull to deep square leg
0.3 -
Nehra to Sharjeel Khan, no run, pitched up outside off, Sharjeel Khan throws his bat on the square drive, but finds Ravi Jadeja at backward point. Good shot for no run
0.2 -
Nehra to Ahmed Shehzad, 1 run, back of a length on the stumps, Ahmed Shehzad nudges it in front of mid-on and takes an easy single
0.1 -
Nehra to Sharjeel Khan, 1 run, and immediately Sharjeel Khan swings. It is on a back of a length around off, cramped the batsman for room but Sharjeel dragged the pull behind square. Long leg runs across to field
Sharjeel Khan and Ahmed Shehzad are at the crease. Sharjeel Khan is on strike. Nehra will open the attack
It was pretty gloomy out there in the evening and dark clouds threatened to play spoilsport. However, the rain gods were kind enough to allow us an 18-over contest and India picked up a much needed win. 6 matches, 6 inninngs, 3 not-outs, 254 runs, a best of 78*, and average of 84.66 and a strike-rate of 118.69. This is Virat Kohli's record against Pakistan in T20Is. Now hang on, read this. 3 matches, 3 not-outs, 169 runs. This is Kohli's record against Pakistan in T20 WCs.
Dhoni: "I didn't expect it to spin so much. The spinners got plenty of help out there. It got slightly better in the second half and they had only one spinner. I think we can still do better (playing against spin). There are areas where we can still improve. It is important that you when you win games you address all those areas. You won't get a second chance in the knockout stages. The third seamer can give you a bit of help if there is dew around, but if I knew that there was so much turn on offer, then I don't have a problem playing an extra spinner. In this format every team is a good team. We want to compete. We want to be here for the final, but as of now we want to take one game at a time."
Afridi: "First of all, I want to congratulate Dhoni and his team for playing well. I did not expect the pitch to spin so much, but no excuse. I think we didn't score enough runs. We were short by 30-35 runs. Their spinners bowled well. I think we didn't bowl in the right areas and I didn't bowl well. Virat Kohli played an awesome innings. I would have picked another spinner for this pitch. India play very well under pressure. Their batsmen play well under pressure and our batsmen have to learn from them in that aspect. We are playing Australia and New Zealand next, so we've got to play very well. This game is done, we need to quickly focus on the next game."
Kohli: "It was a challenging wicket out there. You need new challenges every innings that you play. I was disappointed that I got out for about 25 in the last game. I knew if I had scored 40-45 we could have won. That really hurt because we don't bat like that at home. Today it was all about keeping calm and luckily I got a great partnership with Yuvraj. 49 odd I scored in Dhaka against Pakistan was probably one of my better knocks. I think the seamers bowling cutters was a little difficult. You need to watch the ball to play it late to dab it down to third man. Yuvraj came out, weathered the storm and smacked a few. It's great for him that he came out in a pressure situation. He's feeling confident. I think a score on the board always helps me calculate better (talking about his success in run-chases)."
Virat Kohli is the Man of the Match
Afridi took the ball. Then Malik. This should have been the phase where Pakistan win it. And then Kohli took charge. What a player. He ensured that the strike kept rotating and put on a 61-run partnership with an ever-gaining-in-confidence Yuvi that nearly sealed it. Just the way he carried himself. His presence. Looked a class apart. Admittedly, Pakistan's spin duo of Malik and Afridi greatly underwhelmed and looked nowhere near threatening on a spin haven. That's where they lost it.
India knew they had a game on their hands chasing a decent looking 119 on a carnivorous turner. But what hit them wasn't turn. Rohit fell early to Amir in trying to loft him over the top. Then Sami rattled in and struck twice in one over to leave Eden Gardens in trauma and India tottering at 23/3. Pakistan were right on top. They hadn't even introduced spin and had India at their mercy. In walked Yuvraj Singh. A man who has taken a lot of flak, some would say he has been made the scapegoat whenever they lose. Imagine the pressure.
Another opportunity for Dhoni to finish a game and he doesn't miss out. Kohli punches the air in delight, before the players exchange handshakes. Much needed win for India to get their 2016 T20 WC campaign back on track. They were under a lot of pressure on the team after losing the first game to New Zealand and they have responded well. How well is Kohli under pressure and how well he handles pressure! Gee, he's such a player and it was great to see him take responsibility and perform so well.
15.5 -
Irfan to Dhoni, 1 run, it's a clean sheet (11-0) for India over Pakistan in WC contests. Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar waves the Indian flag in joy in the stands. Meanwhile, Kohli points his bat towards the sky. Shortish delivery on the off stump, Dhoni easily pulls it through mid-wicket and jogs across
15.4 -
Irfan to Dhoni, SIX, in the slot and baaaaaang. Dhoni muscles one down the ground and sends it towards the sightscreen. Slower delivery outside off stump, Dhoni goes over mid-on. The Indian dug-out is delighted
Just 7 to get now for India
15.3 -
Irfan to Kohli, 1 run, shortish slower delivery on the stumps, Kohli works it to square leg
15.2 -
Irfan to Kohli, FOUR, Kohli wants to celebrate early. He's batting brilliantly out there. Short and wide outside off stump, Kohli cuts off the back foot, once it beat backward point, the ball rocketed to the fence. The crowd is absolutely loving this
15.1 -
Irfan to Dhoni, 1 run, slower delivery on the off stump, Dhoni steps out and guides it to third man
Mohammad Irfan [2.0-0-12-0] is back into the attack
14.6 -
Afridi to Kohli, no run, Kohli tries to work it on the on-side, gets a soft leading edge that rolls to cover
14.5 -
Afridi to Dhoni, 1 run, down the leg-side, glanced away to backward square leg
14.4 -
Afridi to Dhoni, no run, how did that miss the stumps? Dhoni was on the front foot to drive, got an inside edge onto pad, Afridi kept appealing for LBW, and the ball almost disturbed the stumps as well
14.3 -
Afridi to Kohli, 1 run, tell him that he's playing against Pakistan in T20Is and he'll score runs at will. Flighted delivery outside off stump, Kohli drives to long-off and brings his up fifty. No great celebration from Kohli, just lifts his bat to the crowd and the dressing room
14.2 -
Afridi to Kohli, FOUR, and again! He's played that inside-out cover drive so well today. Once again those wrists come ino play. Too full from Afridi, Kohli nails the drive after leaning forward, the fielder in the deep had no chance
14.1 -
Afridi to Dhoni, 1 run, flighted delivery from Afridi, Dhoni drives it to long-off
It's 20 needed off 24 now. The Indian captain looks relaxed out there
13.6 -
Amir to Kohli, FOUR, wow! Just wow! What timing from Kohli. Full and in the slot, Kohli leans forward and places the drive through cover, he didn't try to hit it hard, just timed it so sweetly through extra-cover
13.5 -
Amir to Kohli, no run, ah beaten! Good length delivery wide outside off stump, pokes and plays a long way away from the body, he does that every now and then and luckily he didn't edge this
13.4 -
Amir to Dhoni, 1 run, round the wicket, short of length delivery on the stumps, Dhoni works it through mid-wicket
13.3 -
Amir to Kohli, 1 run, he's so good in guiding the ball to third man and Pakistan will have to stop giving time and width outside off stump to Kohli
13.2 -
Amir to Dhoni, 1 run, slower delivery just outside off stump, Dhoni tries to punch, goes off the inner half of the bat to long-on
13.1 -
Amir to Kohli, 1 run, slower delivery outside off stump, Kohli dabs it down to third man
Mohammad Amir [2.0-1-3-1] is back into the attack
Just 28 needed off 30 balls. However, a couple a wickets could tighten things up.
12.6 -
Afridi to Kohli, 1 run, a forward press and then a gentle nudge through mid-on. Batting is so easy for this man and keeps strike
12.5 -
Afridi to Dhoni, 1 run, too full and on the off stump, Dhoni drives it crisply along the ground to long-off
The crowd goes "Dhoni, Dhoni," as the Indian skipper gets ready to face
12.4 -
Afridi to Kohli, 1 run, short enough for Kohli to rock back and punch to long-on
12.3 -
Afridi to Kohli, no run, Kohli tries to run it down to third man, but the ball spins past the outside edge
12.2 -
Afridi to Kohli, no run, flighted delivery just around the off stump line, Kohli watchfully defends
12.1 -
Afridi to Kohli, FOUR, a wicket fell at the other end, but nothing stops Kohli from playing his shots! What a shot that is. Flighted very full from Afridi, Kohli drives through cover and beats the man inside the ring, sweeper cover had no chance
Shahid Afridi [2.0-0-11-0] is back into the attack
MS Dhoni, right handed bat, comes to the crease
11.6 -
Riaz to Yuvraj, out Caught by Sami!! In the airrr, this is not going the distance. There is a man stationed under it and the catch is taken. The umpire has asked Yuvraj to wait to check for the no-ball, well, that was well inside the line. Not sure why he even wanted to check that again. So Pakistan have broken this dangerous looking 61-run partnership that was running away with the game. Slower delivery short and outside off stump, maybe Yuvraj could have gone off-side, instead he opts to pull, gets the bottom of the bat and it goes straight to deep mid-wicket. Yuvraj c Sami b Riaz 24(23) [4s-1 6s-1]
Riaz to Yuvraj, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
11.5 -
Riaz to Kohli, 1 run, he goes that so well! Allows the ball to come, plays very close to the body and taps it fine for the ball to run towards third man
11.4 -
Riaz to Yuvraj, 1 run, pace off the ball and a sensible Yuvraj Singh just opens the face of the bat and guides it through backward point
11.3 -
Riaz to Kohli, 1 run, slower delivery outside off stump, Kohli dabs it to third man
The crowd is very loud now and right behind the Indian team
11.2 -
Riaz to Yuvraj, 1 run, Yuvraj is swinging his bat at it now! Backs away but the bowler follows him with a shortish delivery, Yuvraj gets a thick outside edge that falls short of Irfan at third man
11.1 -
Riaz to Yuvraj, SIX, Yuvraj Singh joins the party and look at the roar from the capacity Eden Gardens crowd. Short delivery just outside off stump, not that high enough to trouble the batsman, Yuvraj rocks back and muscles the pull shot for a flat six over mid-wicket
Kohli is playing a blinder of an innings.
10.6 -
Shoaib Malik to Kohli, no run, Kohli tries to run it fine to third man, but picks out the man inside the ring
10.5 -
Shoaib Malik to Kohli, FOUR, lovely hit to bring up the fifty partnership. Flighted delivery on the stumps, Kohli sweeps and sweeps very hard, sends it along the ground and there was no one in the deep
10.4 -
Shoaib Malik to Kohli, no run, Kohli pushes this towards mid-wicket
10.3 -
Shoaib Malik to Kohli, SIX, top-edgeeeeee and shouts of "catch itttttttt," from the keeper. Has he holed out? Oh my word! This has gone all the way? So cruel for the bowler. He's actually foxed the batsman a bit, yet six runs go against his name. How good is that bat in Kohli's hand and how thick is that side? Flighted delivery on the stumps, Kohli goes for the slog-sweep, went hard and that meant there was more speed on the ball and the extra legs to clear the fielder at deep backward square leg
10.2 -
Shoaib Malik to Yuvraj, 1 run, flighted delivery on the stumps, Yuvraj sweeps to deep mid-wicket
10.1 -
Shoaib Malik to Kohli, 1 run, Kohli uses his feet and carefully works this flighted delivery to deep square leg
10.1 -
Shoaib Malik to Yuvraj, 2 wides, poor from Shoaib Malik. Sprays the flighted delivery down the leg-side, Yuvraj tries to sweep fine, misses and the keeper can't collect cleanly, they get an extra run as well
10 overs done. India need 59 off 48 balls. Kohli and Yuvraj have settled things after that double-blow from Sami.
9.6 -
Riaz to Kohli, no run, oh a soft leading edge and Kohli is lucky that it didn't carry to the bowler. Short of a length delivery on the stumps, Kohli tries to work it on the on-side, closes the bat face a little early and gets the edge
9.5 -
Riaz to Yuvraj, 1 run, bad shot I would say because that was ball way outside off stump to be playing the pull shot. Better of attempting the slap or cut. Yuvraj toe-ends it through the vacant mid-on region
9.4 -
Riaz to Yuvraj, no run, back of a length on the off stump, Yuvraj defends towards short cover and sets off, Kohli quickly yells and stops Yuvraj. A run was never on there
9.3 -
Riaz to Yuvraj, no run, the slower ball outside off stump, Yuvraj tries to run it down to third man, but only connects with thin air
9.2 -
Riaz to Kohli, 1 run, don't give him width outside off stump, he'll keeping guiding and steering for ones and twos towards third man. So easily done by Kohli
9.1 -
Riaz to Kohli, FOUR, in the airrrr, not controlled at all! Could have gone to hand, instead he picks up a boundary. Skipper Afridi is not happy with Sharjeel Khan, who makes a mess at the rope. Shortish in length, Kohli played a half-hearted pull, put it to the right of mid-wicket, Sharjeel got there and put in the slide, but couldn't flick it back properly
Wahab Riaz, left-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
8.6 -
Shoaib Malik to Yuvraj, 2 runs, Yuvraj flicks uppishly, mid-wicket is empty and a smart Kohli pushes his partner through for the second run
8.5 -
Shoaib Malik to Yuvraj, no run, half-shout for LBW as Yuvraj misses the sweep and gets hit on the body, hit him on the chest and was easily bouncing over the sticks. The sweep is going to be a dangerous shot to play unless it's very full because of the turn and bounce on offer on this surface
8.4 -
Shoaib Malik to Yuvraj, 2 runs, that's played away nicely by Yuvraj. Flighted delivery on the stumps, Yuvraj gets down on knee and sweeps fine past short fine leg
Now there is a man at slip for Yuvi.
8.3 -
Shoaib Malik to Kohli, 1 run, flighted delivery on the stumps, Kohli flicks it to deep mid-wicket and brings up India's fifty
8.3 -
Shoaib Malik to Kohli, wide, spinning down the leg-side, Kohli lets it go
8.2 -
Shoaib Malik to Yuvraj, 1 run, and the trouble starts straightaway! It's so surprising to see Afridi not having a slip! Yuvi would have been out if there was one! Pitches on off and turns square, foxes Yuvraj on the defence, bounces extra and takes the glove en route to short third man
Interesting to see no slip being employed for Yuvraj.
8.1 -
Shoaib Malik to Kohli, 1 run, to keep the LBW in play, Malik bowls from round the wicket to Kohli, but bowls too full and gets clipped along the ground to deep mid-wicket
Shoaib Malik, right-arm off break, comes into the attack
Mailk comes on. Kohli won't mind because the ball will be spinning into him. However, life will be difficult for Yuvraj, for he's a left-hander.
7.6 -
Afridi to Kohli, 1 run, flighted delivery on the stumps, Kohli leans forward and drives along the ground to long-off and keeps strike
7.5 -
Afridi to Yuvraj, 1 run, down the leg-side, easily tickled to fine leg, Kohli asks his partner if he wants two as fine leg had a bit of ground to cover to his left, but Yuvraj is happy with one
7.4 -
Afridi to Kohli, 1 run, oh that wasn't convincing from Afridi. The quicker delivery from Afridi, Kohli was on the back foot, it came quickly onto him and he almost took this off the off stump, tapped it through cover-point
Afridi is bowling over wicket to Kohli and round the wicket for Yuvraj
7.3 -
Afridi to Yuvraj, 1 run, very full delivery on the stumps, Yuvraj sweeps well but long leg tidies up
7.2 -
Afridi to Kohli, 1 run, "two, two," said Kohli as soon as he drove this flighted delivery crisply off the front foot and wide of long-off, but changes his mind, Yuvraj was halfway down the pitch for the second run, but had enough time to get back
Afridi v Kohli is going to be interesting with the ball turning square
7.1 -
Afridi to Yuvraj, 1 run, flighted delivery on the off stump, Yuvraj wrists it with the spin to long-on
So that 12-run over has settled things a bit for India.
6.6 -
Sami to Kohli, no run, fullish and outside off stump, Kohli drives it to cover
6.5 -
Sami to Kohli, 2 runs, slower delivery on the off stump, Kohli works it off the inside half of the bat to backward square leg, calls for two and comes back in time. The throw was wide of the keeper as well
6.4 -
Sami to Yuvraj, 1 run, where is mid-wicket, Shahid Afridi? It would have been a dolly. Knowing Yuvraj's struggle against the short ball, Sami bangs it into the pitch, Yuvraj tries the pull, but splices it, mid-on had too much ground to cover and was never going to get there
6.3 -
Sami to Yuvraj, FOUR, maybe this is why Yuvraj Singh wanted the strike and denied that second run. Lovely cover-drive. Looks so good when he gets going. Full and slanted across outside off stump, Yuvraj, with his big bat lift, nails the drive to perfection and even a full length dive to his left from Amir wasn't good enough
6.2 -
Sami to Kohli, 1 run, slower delivery on the stumps, Kohli works it to deep square leg, wants two but Yuvraj says no
6.1 -
Sami to Kohli, FOUR, wow! Good shot! The crowd gets going with that hit from India's No.3. Short of a length delivery wide outside off stump, Kohli allows the ball to come and punches it with an angled bat, beats both backward point and third man. So just like his first over, Sami concedes a boundary first ball
5.6 -
Afridi to Yuvraj, no run, a short leg would have swallowed that. Flighted delivery on the stumps, Yuvraj leans forward to defend, gets an inside edge onto pad, lobs in the air but falls safely
5.6 -
Afridi to Yuvraj, wide, Afridi darts this in and also gets it to grip, too good for Yuvraj, but it went down the leg-side, another good take by the keeper as he was blinded by the batsman for a while
5.5 -
Afridi to Yuvraj, no run, waits for the ball to come back in and watchfully works it into the on-side
5.4 -
Afridi to Yuvraj, no run, flighted delivery on the stumps, turned into the on-side
5.4 -
Afridi to Yuvraj, wide, oh big turn and the keeper did really well to collect and save a few extra runs. Spinning down the leg-side, Sarfraz moves to his right and goes well
5.3 -
Afridi to Kohli, 1 run, once again Kohli plays early. Shortish and spinning away outside off stump, Kohli wanted to cut, the ball went off the inside half of the bat
5.2 -
Afridi to Yuvraj, 1 run, round the wicket, on the leg stump, Yuvraj glances this to fine leg
5.1 -
Afridi to Kohli, 1 run, shortish and spinning away outside off stump, Kohli goes early into the pull, under-edges it through backward square leg. Kohli went so deep in the crease that he almost stepped onto the stumps
Shahid Afridi, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack
Wow! What a turnaround for Sami. Thrashed for four first ball and then oversteps to concede a free-hit, but he got two-in-two. Mind you, he was drafted into the side for this game at the expense of Imad Wasim and Sami has justified the selection.
4.6 -
Sami to Yuvraj, no run, cross-seamed length delivery close to the off stump, Yuvraj manages to defend
4.5 -
Sami to Yuvraj, no run, the hat-trick ball is negotiated. Short of a length delivery on the stumps, Yuvraj was late on the defence, gets hit high on the thigh pad
Yuvraj Singh, left handed bat, comes to the crease
4.4 -
Sami to Raina, out Bowled!! And there goes the leg-stump cartwheeling towards the keeper. Sami is on a hat-trick. Stunned faces in the crowd. Raina can't believe that he's been dismissed. It all happened so quickly for him. Why on earth would you hop everytime on the crease when a pacy bowler is bowling short of length close to your body? Raina awkwardly tries to defend and drags it back onto the stumps. Raina b Sami 0(1)
Sami to Raina, THAT'S OUT!! Bowled!!
Suresh Raina, left handed bat, comes to the crease
4.3 -
Sami to Dhawan, out Bowled!! How quickly does fortune change? Sami was struggling to get things right and all of a sudden, he roars in delight after castling the batsman. Short of a length delivery on the off stump, we all know that Dhawan is a lazy front foot mover, just tries to defend with soft hands and probably wanting to run it to third man, ends up playing it onto the stumps off the face of the bat. Yes, you got to play with soft hands, but not with such soft hands. A bit more hard hands would have meant that it would have been a proper defence. Dhawan b Sami 6(15) [4s-1]
Sami to Dhawan, THAT'S OUT!! Bowled!!
4.2 -
Sami to Dhawan, no run, Dhawan fails to make use of the free-hit! Sami gets away with a poor delivery. Once again short wide is this slower delivery, Dhawan backs away slightly and cuts hard, only manages to get the bottom of the bat onto it and straight to backward point
4.2 -
Sami to Dhawan, no ball, oh no! What have you done Sami? He's overstepped the line and it's going to be a free-hit. Slower delivery slanted across, swing and a miss
4.1 -
Sami to Dhawan, FOUR, Dhawan gets it in the gap and improves his strike-rate. Sami starts with a slower delivery first up, but he gave a lot of width for Dhawan to play with. Mind you, Dhawan is very good square on the off-side and he generally won't miss out on an opportunity. This was the square drive timed sweetly between backward point and the diving cover-point
Mohammad Sami, right-arm fast, comes into the attack
Just 2 off that over. Dhawan is struggling for timing. Now what that does is it puts extra pressure on Kohli. Interesting times ahead!
3.6 -
Irfan to Kohli, no run, the off-cutting slower delivery outside off stump and Kohli had no clue about it. However, he did well to drop his hands and let the ball go though after being out-thought by the bowler. The length was shortish from Irfan and that gave Kohli the time to make a last minute change
3.5 -
Irfan to Dhawan, 1 run, good length delivery on the stumps, Dhawan swings across the line, the ball takes the inside half of the bat and goes on the bounce towards deep square leg
3.4 -
Irfan to Dhawan, no run, another dot ball. Pressure builds on Dhawan and he desperately wants to get off strike. Can't hit the ball straight to hand and expect your partner to respond though. Once again Kohli rightly shouts loud and asks Dhawan to stay at his end. This was mistimed towards cover-point again
Dhawan has scored just 1 run off 9 balls now.
3.3 -
Irfan to Dhawan, no run, short of length delivery outside off stump, Dhawan goes for the cut, but the slow pitch meant he played a little early and toe-ended it to cover-point
3.2 -
Irfan to Dhawan, no run, Dhawan defends this length ball towards short cover and looks for a non-existent run, but Kohli yells and stops him
3.1 -
Irfan to Kohli, 1 run, slower delivery on the leg stump, Kohli works it to fine leg and opens his account
Amir has bowled two lovely overs. Time for Irfan to step up. His first over was very poor. Can he do justice this time around? We'll wait and watch.
2.6 -
Amir to Dhawan, no run, once again Dhawan is hit on the thigh pad, short of length delivery angled in at 143kph, Dhawan is late in bringing his bat down, but luckily it was going down leg and also bouncing over
2.5 -
Amir to Dhawan, no run, short of length once again, the cutter from the left-armer, Dhawan hangs back and defends
2.4 -
Amir to Dhawan, no run, full delivery outside off stump, Dhawan drives and finds the man at cover
2.3 -
Amir to Dhawan, no run, the slower delivery from Amir, the ball came back just a bit and also bounced extra, Dhawan was beaten on the defence and hit him high on the thigh pad. Half-shout for LBW from Pakistan
2.2 -
Amir to Dhawan, leg byes, 2 runs, short of length delivery down the leg-side, Dhawan misses the tickle, ball rolls towards fine leg off the thigh pad
Virat Kohli, right handed bat, comes to the crease
2.1 -
Amir to Rohit, out Caught by Shoaib Malik!! It's high in the airrrrrrr. Who wants it? A couple of fielders are very close but Malik holds on. Excellent catch. Afridi came from mid-off, but Malik called for it rushing from extra-cover and took it cleanly. A bad stroke attempted by Rohit Sharma. Good length delivery on the off stump, this is not a pitch to be playing the on the rise hinted Sunil Gavaskar on air in the last over and Rohit pays the price. Just goes for the lofted drive over mid-off, but the ball hit the bottom of the bat and went very high. The fielder did the rest. Pakistan get the early breakthrough they were looking for. Rohit c Shoaib Malik b Amir 10(11) [4s-2]
Amir to Rohit, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
1.6 -
Irfan to Rohit, 1 run, short of length delivery on the leg stump, Rohit glances it to fine leg
1.5 -
Irfan to Rohit, FOUR, the slower ball attempted but it's way too short, Rohit swivels and pulls fine through the vacant backward square leg region. Second boundary of the over for India
1.4 -
Irfan to Rohit, no run, uppish, but safe! Poor shot from Rohit. It appeared as if he made up his mind at the last moment to attempt the on-the-rise drive. Short of a length and climbing high, Rohit splices the shot to mid-off
1.3 -
Irfan to Rohit, no run, cracking back foot punch and a brilliant piece of fielding there at backward point by Ahmed Shehzad. Short of a length delivery just outside off stump, Rohit plays the shot on one leg, Shehzad flies to his right and saves a certain boundary
1.2 -
Irfan to Rohit, no run, much better from Irfan, keep it on a good length outside off stump, Rohit shoulders arms, good bounce for Irfan on that occasion
1.2 -
Irfan to Rohit, wide, Irfan goes round the wicket, but gets the radar wrong, bangs this short and it goes down the leg-side, Rohit tries to help it on its way but misses
1.1 -
Irfan to Rohit, FOUR, poor start from Irfan. The new ball will be the best time to bat and India would want to make full use of the overs, Irfan has to understand that and bowl well. A dreadful ball first up in a big game. Short and angled across outside off stump, Rohit cuts deliberately over cover-point and picks up an easy boundary
Mohammad Irfan, left-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
So a quiet start for both sides. Amir did not swing and India did not get freebies.
0.6 -
Amir to Dhawan, no run, beaten! 146kph on this full delivery outside off stump, Dhawan plays a loose drive and gets beaten
0.5 -
Amir to Rohit, 1 run, with the left-armer's angle from over the wicket, Rohit uses the width on this good length delivery and runs it down to third man
0.4 -
Amir to Dhawan, 1 run, no swing on this one too. Pacy full delivery, but the line is wrong and down the leg-side, Dhawan clips it away nicely with a strong bottom hand grip, fine leg runs to his right and tidies up
Dhawan not happy with movement behind the bowler's arm. Sorted now and we are good to carry on. Wide slip in place
0.3 -
Amir to Rohit, leg byes, 1 run, leg-stumpish from Amir, Rohit wanted to tickle it fine, but failed to connect and the short of length delivery rolled behind square off the thigh pad
0.3 -
Amir to Rohit, wide, Amir sprays this wide outside off stump, Rohit lets it go and an easy call for the umpire. First runs for India
0.2 -
Amir to Rohit, no run, this is slightly tailing back into the right-hander, Rohit tucks this into the on-side
0.1 -
Amir to Rohit, no run, beaten straightaway! The interesting thing was that the ball didn't swing. Just a full delivery angled across the right-hander, Rohit hung his bat away from the body as he tried to defend, the ball missed the outside edge
Rohit and Dhawan are at the crease. Rohit is on strike. Amir will open the attack