India defeated Pakistan by six runs after posting a mere 119 on the board.
In the all-important clash, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss and opted to bowl first. Riding on fast bowlers’ brilliance, the Men in Green bundled out India for a paltry 119 in 19 overs on a tricky two-paced pitch.
Naseem Shah (3/21 in 4 overs), Haris Rauf (3/21 in 3 overs), Mohammad Amir (2/23 in 4 overs) and Shaheen Afridi (1/29 in 4 overs) shared nine wickets among them while one Indian batter got run-out.
In reply, Pakistan were cruising at one stage, needing just 48 runs from as many balls with eight wickets in hand. However, the Indian pace battery, led by Jasprit Bumrah (3-14) and Hardik Pandya (2-24), staged a remarkable comeback and restricted the arch-rivals to 113/7 in 20 overs.
Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar was left dejected by Pakistan’s listless display with the bat, which resulted in another heartbreaking loss to India in T20 World Cup.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Akhtar questioned the intent of the Babar Azam-led side, stating that Pakistan should have won the game had the players ‘applied their brains’.
“Very disappointing. It was a run-a-ball chance for Pakistan. Earlier, India’s middle-order messed it up. They were 80-odd in 11 overs and could have achieved around 160 but couldn’t. But for Pakistan, it was a close chance. Rizwan could have scored another 20 runs and won the game for the team. Sadly, we didn’t apply our brains,” Akhtar said.
“A lot of things are questionable, their intent, the application… it’s really sad for the team. Pakistan should have won this game. They were pretty much in the game, requiring 46 runs in 47 balls when Fakhar was there. We had 7 wickets in hand but we couldn’t do it. I’m speechless and hurt, that’s about it,” he added.
Having lost their first matches against the USA and India, Pakistan’s chances of reaching the Super 8 look very slim now.
The 2009 champions are due to face Canada in their next match at the Nassau County ground, New York on Tuesday (June 11).