CWC 2023: Supercharged Bumrah, Pandya short-circuit dozy Pakistan, bundle out arch-rival for 191 in blockbuster clash

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India]: Supercharged Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Hardik Pandya cracked open Pakistan’s dozy batting lineup to help India skittle out arch-rival for 191 in a blockbuster clash in the ongoing 2023 ICC World Cup here at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

Indian bowlers completely shattered Pakistan’s batting lineup as Bumrah, Siraj, Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja bagged two wickets each to bundle out their traditional rival for 191 runs in just 42.5 overs. Captain Babar Azam scored the highest for Pakistan with 50 off 58 while Mohammad Rizwan scored 49.

Indian fans painted the Narendra Modi Stadium painted blue and supported the home team as the 12th man. This is the eighth Cricket World Cup clash between the arch-rivals. India has won all the previous seven encounters between the two sides.

Put to bat first, Pakistan openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq started in a positive fashion While playing cautiously against the disciplined Jasprit Bumrah as the duo took their chances against any loose delivery from Mohammed Siraj.

Rohit, however, persisted with his pacers, and the move bore fruits as ‘Miya Magic’ Siraj struck in the eighth over and got one to jag in, trapping Abdullah Shafique’s leg before.
Imam and captain Babar Azam tried to ensure that Pakistan went ahead at a healthy scoring rate.

Babar got off to a fine start pretty quickly, hitting three fours off Hardik Pandya in his first 10 balls. Just when Pakistan was closing into a run rate close to six, Imam went for an expansive drive and ended up edging a Pandya delivery to wicket-keeper KL Rahul.

Ravindra Jadeja provided India with a chance for another wicket, however, Mohammad Rizwan reviewed and survived the call after it turned out that the ball was straying down the leg side.

hit the pads of Mohammad Rizwan, and the umpire raised his finger. However, Rizwan reviewed and survived the call after it turned out that the ball was straying down the leg side. Rizwan then joined forces with Babar to keep Pakistan close to five at the 20-over mark.

Over the following few overs, India’s spinners consistently controlled the game, with Kuldeep Yadav in particular displaying excellent control. When the Pakistani duo scored 13 runs against Siraj in the 28th over, they were freed from their chains. Babar’s magnificent four through the point against India helped him to his ODI half-century.

But in the 30th over, Siraj beat Babar’s outside edge and his delivery slammed into his off-stump.

India’s star spinner Kuldeep then gave Pakistan two big blows as he removed Saud Shakeel for 6 and Iftikhar Ahmed (4) in the 33rd over.

In the 34th over, Jasprit Bumrah completely bamboozled Rizwan with a beauty and removed the Pakistan batter. Rizwan failed to get to his first ODI fifty against India and went back to Pavellion just one run shy away from fifty.

Bumrah castled another wicket in quick succession as he sent Shadab Khan packing after scoring just 2 runs.

Hardik then delivered a superb ball to dismiss Mohammad Nawaz for 4 in the 40th over while in the next over Ravindra Jadeja sent Hasan Ali packing for 12, leaving Pakistan tottering at 187/9.

Jadeja then dismissed Pakistan’s last batter Haris Rauf, bundling out arch-rival for 191 in 42.5 overs.

Brief score: Pakistan 191 (Babar Azam 50, Mohammad Rizwan 49; Jasprit Bumrah 2-19) vs India.