Asia Cup T20 Match 4 Review: Virat Kohli guides India to a stirring victory

India and Pakistan playing against each other always promises exciting contest. The noisy hordes of India and Pakistan fans were kept at the edge of their seats as both age-old rivals fought it out in a hair-raising low scoring game. The match began with a domineering bowling performance by the Indian bowlers which saw the Men in Green bundled out for just 83 runs. Mohammad Amir then retaliated with a breathtaking opening spell in the second innings to raise hope in the Pakistan camp. However, fans were yet again treated with a Virat Kohli special which saw India cross the winning line without much fuss. The Sher-e-Bangla Stadium at Mirpur would have never witnessed such a big entertainer.

MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl first on a grassy pitch. Indian bowlers took advantage of the conditions and gave a rousing start to the game. Ashish Nehra and Jasprit Bumrah were extracted movement straightaway. Nehra was the first to strike after he unpicked Hafeez. Bumrah started with a maiden over and came back in his subsequent over to get rid of the in-form Sharjeel Khan. The young Gujarat bowler troubled the Pakistanis who were strangers to his uncanny bowling style.

Bumrah continued exerting pressure on new batsmen Shoaib Malik and Khurram Manzoor which resulted in a mix-up, costing Khurram his wicket at the non-striker’s end. His painful innings of 9 from 18 balls met its end with Pakistan struggling at 32/3 after the first powerplay.

The wickets further tumbled after Malik nicked one behind off Hardik Pandya’s bowling. The following over by Yuvraj Singh saw two more wickets fall. The ‘Man with the Golden arm’ struck with his first ball to force Umar Akmal to go back to the dugout. Skipper Afridi was run out off the last ball of the over as Ravindra Jadeja shot in a rocket throw to catch him short of the crease. Pakistan was in utter disarray and had nosedived to 42/6 in 8 overs.

The team continued to crash and tumble as the tail-enders were cleaned up by Pandya and Jadeja. Eventually, they were steam-rolled for just 83 runs in 17.3 overs which unfortunately was their third lowest total in T20Is. The only batsman who put up an appreciable performance was Sarfraz Ahmed who fought hard and played a sensible innings of 25 off 24 balls.

Chasing a pea-sized target of 84 runs to win, the Indians were put in a spot of distress by Mohammad Amir as he dismantled the Indian top order with his immaculate swing and pace. The sensational left-armer got into his act quickly, snapping up two wickets in his highly eventful first over. He welcomed the man in-form Rohit Sharma with a scorching yorker which hit him right in front. A loud appeal for leg before was raised but the umpire turned it down.

However, the fast bowler trapped Sharma with an incredible in-swinger off the very next delivery. Rohit’s wicket was followed by Rahane’s dismissal who was also beaten by a sharp in-swinger which caught him plumb in front of the wicket.

Amir came back again in the subsequent over to get rid of the wobbly looking Suresh Raina who lobbed a simple catch to Wahab Riaz at mid-off. India was now 8/3 and the match which appeared as a one-sided affair had turned into a highly interesting contest.

Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh held things together. Kohli looked unfazed by the things happening around him and batted calmly while Yuvraj looked little clumsy but managed to survive.

Amir’s last over was his most expensive after Kohli hit two crisp boundaries in the 7th over much to the delight of the Indian fans. The fast bowler eventually ended with his career best figure of 3/18. There a sigh of relief in the air after Mohammad Amir finished his quota of overs. But, the face of the match changed from here after as Riaz and Irfan failed to bowl with the venom with which Amir started.

Kohli was settled in the middle by now and cruised easily ahead. Yuvi gave him the vital support. Soon, there was no stopping for India as the duo slowly weaved a 68-run stand before the pair was separated by Sami. Kohli was unluckily given out leg before at the score of 49, missing out on a well-deserved half-century. Skipper Dhoni walked out and hit a backfoot punch through covers for a boundary and India comfortably finished the game with 5 wickets in hands.

Brief Scores:

Pakistan – 83 all out in 17.3 overs (Sarfraz Ahmed 25; Hardik Pandya 3/8)

India – 85/5 in 15.3 overs (Virat Kohli 49; Mohammad Amir 3/18)

Man of the Match: Virat Kohli

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