In a nail-biting encounter at the T20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan fell short against arch-rivals India, suffering a narrow 6-run defeat at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Sunday. This setback significantly dims Pakistan’s hopes of advancing to the Super Eight stage of the tournament.
Despite winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Pakistan’s bowlers displayed a commendable performance, restricting India to a modest total of 119 runs, all out in 19 overs. The Indian batting line-up struggled against Pakistan’s formidable pace attack. Rishabh Pant emerged as the top scorer for India with a resilient 42 runs off 31 balls, while Axar Patel contributed 20 runs from 18 balls and skipper Rohit Sharma chipped in with 13 runs from 12 balls.
Naseem Shah was the standout bowler for Pakistan, claiming 3 wickets for 21 runs in his four overs. Haris Rauf mirrored Shah’s performance with 3 wickets for 21 runs in three overs, and Mohammad Amir added to the pressure with 2 wickets for 23 runs in his four overs.
Chasing a target of 120 runs, Pakistan started their innings on a cautious note but failed to build momentum. Wickets fell at regular intervals, and despite a solid start, the Pakistani batting line-up faltered under the pressure of a disciplined Indian bowling attack. Mohammad Rizwan scored a patient 31 runs off 44 balls, Imad Wasim added 15 runs from 23 balls, and Fakhar Zaman managed 13 runs off 8 balls.
India’s bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah, delivered an exceptional performance to defend their modest total. Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 wickets for just 14 runs in his four overs. Hardik Pandya provided crucial support with 2 wickets for 24 runs in his four overs, while Axar Patel chipped in with 1 wicket for 11 runs in two overs.
The result left Pakistan at 113 for 9 in their 20 overs, falling just 6 runs short of the target. This defeat has made Pakistan’s path to the Super Eight stage significantly more challenging, requiring them to win their remaining matches and depend on other results to go their way.
This thrilling contest once again highlighted the intense rivalry and high stakes associated with India-Pakistan matches, providing fans with a memorable game that showcased the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket.
