India’s Bowlers Take Charge Early

India’s bowling attack proved far superior, keeping Pakistan under constant pressure. The match was one-sided from the very start, as Hardik Pandya dismissed Saim Ayub with the first legal delivery of the game. The visitors were forced to take risky shots to keep the scoreboard moving.

Despite their efforts, 63 deliveries in Pakistan’s innings went without runs. Their scoring rate crossed a run per ball only in the final over. Pakistan eventually posted a below-par total of 128, which was never going to trouble India’s powerful batting line-up.

Kuldeep Yadav led the way with three wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel took two each. Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy chipped in with one wicket apiece, making it a complete team performance.

Hardik and Bumrah Strike Early, Farhan Fights Back

Hardik Pandya opened the bowling ahead of Bumrah. He started with a loose ball, but Ayub mistimed his shot straight to Bumrah at backward point, giving India an early breakthrough.

In the very next over, Mohammad Haris attempted to attack Bumrah but ended up holing out to Hardik at long leg.

However, Sahibzada Farhan provided resistance, becoming the first Pakistani batter to hit a six off Bumrah in an international match. He hit another maximum in the final over of the powerplay, making him only the sixth player overall to hit more than one six off Bumrah in T20Is.

Despite his effort, Pakistan managed just 42 for 2 in the powerplay, a modest score that signaled more trouble ahead.

Spin Trio Tighten the Grip

After the powerplay, India’s spinners took complete control. Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel choked the run flow, not allowing Pakistan to score freely.

It took Pakistan 31 balls to hit their first boundary after the powerplay. During this phase, they added only 12 runs and lost two wickets.

Both dismissals — of Fakhar Zaman and Salman Agha — came off desperate slog shots. Kuldeep then struck again with a brilliant wrong’un to dismiss Mohammad Nawaz for a golden duck, coming close to a hat-trick.

Pakistan’s batting struggles were summed up by Farhan, who crawled to 40 off 43 balls before falling on the first delivery of the death overs. Shaheen Shah Afridi then provided late fireworks with a personal best 33 not out off 16 balls, giving Pakistan some hope of a competitive total.

Abhishek and Gill Crush Pakistan’s Hopes

Pakistan’s late fightback was short-lived. Abhishek Sharma went on the attack from the very first ball of the chase, smashing Afridi for a four straight down the ground and then a six over long-off.

At the other end, Shubman Gill struck back-to-back boundaries off Ayub. Though Ayub dismissed both openers soon after, India had already raced to 41 for 2 in just 3.4 overs, seizing full control.

India Seal Victory with Ease

After a blistering start, India’s scoring rate slowed in the middle overs. In the seven overs following the powerplay, they scored 39 runs and lost Tilak Varma.

However, the difference in quality between the two sides remained clear. Pakistan’s bowling lacked the sharpness to create sustained pressure, while India’s batters kept the scoreboard ticking.

Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube then provided the finishing touches, guiding India to victory with 4.1 overs to spare.

Brief Scorecard