New York (USA): The Pakistani bowling attack ribboned out the famed Indian batters, leaving the Men in Blue with unmentionably low scores.
Virat Kohli was dismissed for 4, Rohit Sharma for 13, Axar Patel for 20, Suryakumar Yadav for 7, Shivam Dube for 3, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah for ducks, and Hardik Pandya for just 7.
Only Rishabh Pant showed some resilience with his 42 off 31 balls before inexplicably giving away his wicket at a crucial moment. India folded up in the 19th over at 119, a performance that looked more like an Irish or Dutch effort rather than that of the No. 1 T20 team in the world.
When India folded up one over before the innings at 119, two possible hattrick opportunities and two ducks, its skyline looked Irish or Ugandan, not Indian enough for cricket, not like the skyline of T20’s top team in the world.
Earlier in the day, braving a rain delay, a lost toss, and a pitch courting bad chirp, Rohit Sharma opened the Indian innings against a dangerously set Pakistan under cloudy conditions at the Nassau County Cricket Stadium in New York. Play started after a 30-minute rain delay, with Sharma hitting a boundary in the first over off Shaheen Afridi, but the rain soon returned, stopping play for another 10 minutes. Upon resumption, disaster struck for India as Kohli and Sharma were dismissed in quick succession, leaving India at a dismal 19-2 by the third over.
In an attempt to stabilize the innings, the Indian dressing room promoted Axar Patel in place of Suryakumar Yadav. However, it was Naseem Shah who dismissed Kohli, who hit straight to cover point and into the hands of a jubilant Usman. Kohli walked off with just 4 runs, putting to rest all expectations of a blitzkrieg. Sharma followed soon after, pulling Afridi only to be caught by Haris Rauf at deep square leg. Both dismissals showcased the ball's tendency to stop short on the bat, unsettling the Indian batters.
Pant kept India’s hopes alive with a series of risky but effective strokes, managing to send the ball to the boundary on several occasions, even though the stands remained tense. Usman dropped a difficult catch off Pant, who then hit three more boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking. By the midway point, Pant had scored an audacious 33 and India had reached 81, but the pitch continued to cause trouble.
Axar Patel’s reckless swing off a straight delivery from Naseem Shah saw him bowled out, leaving India at 58-3. Suryakumar Yadav, despite a brief struggle, was caught by Mohammed Amir off Rauf’s bowling, reducing India to 96-5. Debutante Shivam Dube’s vulnerability to pace was quickly exposed by Naseem Shah, who dismissed him for 3 runs.
Pant's dismissal for 42, a result of an unnecessary swing, marked the beginning of the end. Amir, seeking redemption from his previous super over nightmare against the USA, took two wickets for 17 runs in three overs, including Ravindra Jadeja for a duck, putting him on a hat-trick. India's 100 came in the 16th over, but with seven wickets down, the innings was in shambles. Mohammed Siraj’s run-out in the 19th over ended India's innings at 119, showcasing a rare and dismal performance from the top-ranked T20 team.
As Pakistan takes guard in the afternoon under a clearer sky, the Indian bowling unit faces the daunting task of defending an anorexic total. The disciplined and hungry Pakistani side will look to capitalize on their excellent bowling performance to secure a strong position in the tournament.
This unexpected show of strength from Pakistan and the corresponding implosion of the Indian batting lineup has set the stage for a thrilling chase, with all eyes now on how the bowlers can respond to the challenge.
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