In a thrilling contest, India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets during their ICC ODI World Cup 2023 match at Narendra Modi Stadium. India’s third consecutive win was led by Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, who picked up figures of 2-19 and 2-35, respectively. Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja also claimed two wickets each, restricting Pakistan to just 191 runs in 42.5 overs.
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Pakistan’s batting lineup crumbled dramatically, losing eight wickets for only 36 runs in just 13 overs. This was their worst collapse for the last eight wickets in their history of the ODI World Cup. No Pakistani batter managed to clear the boundary ropes.
Chasing 192, India’s skipper Rohit Sharma smashed six fours and six sixes on his way to 86 off 63 balls. Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 53 off 62 balls complemented Rohit’s effort, securing India’s eighth consecutive victory over Pakistan in Men’s ODI World Cups. This comprehensive win also propelled India to the top of the points table.
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Opting to bowl first, India patiently awaited a breakthrough as Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq dominated the initial seven overs. However, Mohammed Siraj found a way to dismiss Shafique with a cross-seam delivery that kept low, resulting in a plumb lbw.
Imam-ul-Haq, who had earlier struck boundaries, fell to Hardik Pandya’s clever delivery, offering a catch to KL Rahul. India had a chance to claim a third wicket, but the review showed the ball missing leg-stump when Jadeja trapped Rizwan lbw.
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As the spinners applied pressure, Babar Azam and Rizwan released the pressure with boundaries off Siraj. Azam notched his first ODI fifty against India with a stylish drive through covers off Kuldeep.
However, Azam’s dismissal triggered a batting collapse for Pakistan, as Kuldeep dismissed Saud Shakeel and Iftikhar Ahmed in quick succession. Bumrah contributed with crucial wickets by dismissing Rizwan and Shadab Khan. Pakistan’s innings ended when Haris Rauf was out lbw.
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In India’s chase, Shubman Gill’s promising innings was cut short by Shaheen Shah Afridi. Rohit Sharma found his rhythm and smashed sixes, including his 300th ODI six. He narrowly missed a century, falling 14 runs short after mistiming a slower ball to mid-on.
However, Iyer and KL Rahul ensured a comfortable victory. Iyer reached his fifty with a winning six down the ground, sealing an emphatic Indian win.