In an eagerly anticipated cricket match at a packed Narendra Modi Stadium, India convincingly defeated Pakistan by seven wickets, maintaining their impeccable record against their arch-rivals in the 50-overs World Cup. India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, played a scintillating innings, scoring 86 runs and leading his team to victory in just 30.3 overs. This win extended India’s flawless track record of 7-0 against Pakistan in World Cup history.
On the bowling front, the Indian bowlers bundled out Pakistan for a mere 191 runs in 42.5 overs. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja each claimed two wickets. Apart from Pakistan’s skipper, Babar Azam (50), and Mohammad Rizwan (49), no other batsman managed to surpass the 40-run mark. Mohammed Siraj dismissed Abdullah Shafique for 20, while Hardik Pandya removed Imam ul Haq after his promising start. A partnership of 82 runs between Babar and Rizwan steadied Pakistan’s innings at 155-2 in the 30th over. It seemed like Pakistan might set a 300-plus total, but they lost all eight remaining wickets for just 36 runs. Siraj dismissed Babar, Bumrah bowled Rizwan, and Kuldeep Yadav claimed two crucial wickets in a single over to dismantle Pakistan’s middle order.
India’s chase began with a flourish as Rohit Sharma flicked the first ball of the innings for a boundary. Shubman Gill (16) hit four fours but perished to a delivery from Shaheen Afridi. Rohit continued to dominate and, even after Virat Kohli’s early exit (16), he reached his fifty in just 36 deliveries. Although he seemed set for a second consecutive century, he fell victim to a slow off-cutter from Shaheen Afridi, offering a catch to Iftikhar Ahmed at midwicket. Shreyas Iyer then took the helm, guiding India to victory with an unbeaten 53 not out, including a crucial boundary
