India emerged victorious in a thrilling low-scoring encounter against Pakistan at Eisenhower Park, New York. The match, characterised by a pitch that offered more assistance to the batters than the previous games at this venue, ultimately saw India defend their modest total of 119 runs, defeating Pakistan by 6 runs.
Pakistan, opting to bowl first after winning the toss, initially appeared to be in control, exploiting the slow and unpredictable nature of the pitch to stifle the Indian batting lineup. Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Amir were exceptional with the ball, picking up three, three and two wickets respectively and restricted India to 119 runs.Â
Rishabh Pant’s resilient knock of 42 runs proved to be the backbone of India’s innings, as the rest of the batting lineup struggled to find their footing against Pakistan’s disciplined bowling attack. However, the total proved to be enough, as Pakistan faltered in their chase.
The chase was a nightmare. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan started off well, but the middle order crumbled under pressure after Babar Azam’s dismissal in the fifth over. Jasprit Bumrah was the star for India, bowling a fiery spell that ripped through Pakistan’s batting lineup.
His disciplined line and length proved too much for Pakistan’s batters, and suddenly 120 seemed like an impossible target. He ended up with three wickets for just 14 runs in four overs and that earned him the Player of the Match award.
Pakistan’s inability to build partnerships and rotate the strike in the middle overs cost them dearly. While they managed to take the game deep, the required run rate kept climbing, eventually becoming too high to chase. The loss is a major setback for Pakistan’s campaign, leaving them in a dire situation. With zero points from their two matches, their chances of progressing to the next stage now hinge on other results going their way.
For India, the win is a significant boost to their campaign, putting them in a commanding position with two wins from two matches and four points on the board. They are now virtually assured of a spot in the Super-eight round.
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Sack Azam now. PCT deserves Shaheen as captain.