Cricket World Cup 2015, Highlights: India Defeat Pakistan by 76 Runs
India maintain their record against Pakistan in World Cups as Mohammad Shami claims four wickets to script a big win at Adelaide. Highlights from the match.
India outclassed Pakistan in every department of the game to register a convincing win at Adelaide. In front of a packed stadium, Virat Kohli (107) and Mohammand Shami (4 for 35) grabbed the limelight. (India vs Pakistan Scorecard | India vs Pakistan in World Cups | Schedule)
(All times in IST) (Match report from Sunday's other match: SA survive Zimbabwe scare)
* India next play South Africa on Sunday while Pakistanis take on West Indies on Saturday.
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1717:Dhoni is proud of his team and fans.
* Very good performance started by the batsmen. We gave cushioning of 15-20 runs to our bowlers.
* When batting first, it isn't easy to start here. There's variable pace. Shikhar and Dhawan's long partnership was crucial and Raina accelerated when needed.
* Eight to ten day break was important. World Cup gets you going. Fans have come from India and that helps. Saw many in hotel lobby and Australians were wondering what's happening.
* I don't control emotions but am not over expressive on the field when a win approaches.
1715: Misbah visibly disappointed after the loss but says his team will have to come back hard.
* India played really well. We lost in the middle when we lost three wickets.
* They put up a big total and then bowled well.
* The pitch was very good. Our bowlers did well to pull them back but 300 was gettable.
* Two, three batsmen never really got in, were dismissed early.
Have to look forward. Can't get into this game and not concentrate on next. Need to get momentum back.
1708:Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates team in a tweet. "Congrats Team India. Well played. We are all very proud of you."
1705: Kohli is man of the match! "It was tough to stay focused for this match. That's how big it was. But that is what we need to do as international players," he says. "We spoke of what our roles are in the team before this match and I am glad I played my part today.
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1702:That's it! India win by 76 runs with Sohail Khan falling to Mohit. Men in blue maintain their dominance against Pakistan in World Cups.
1650: Out! Misbah falls for 76 and becomes Shami's fourth victim of the day.
1644: Misbah hits three consecutive fours to close in on what could be his first century.
1640: Virat and Jadeja 'have a word' with Sohail. Both smile it off as Misbah gestures to his partner to return to his crease and bat. In the meanwhile, Virat tells fans here to pump it up!
1638: OUT! Yasir Shah falls for 13 as Mohit gets into the wickets. India two away from big win.
1635: Dhoni has men patrolling the boundary as if it's the border! India in no mood to allow a fierce comeback.
1630: The required run-rate is going up all the time. Misbah is 63 off 70 but he will have to pick it up quickly if his team has any chance of a turnaround.
1618: Adelaide right now is all blue (on the field at least):
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1600: Out and out! Shami is on fire. He removes a dangerous Afridi and follows it up with the wicket of Wahab.
1549: Ashwin has bowled six overs for 22. He has a wicket. Jadeja has bowled seven at five an over and also has a wicket. Spin has combined well with pace against Pakistan.
1536: Misbah is visibly under pressure. He has scored 13 off 26. The captain will have to step up so that Afridi's freestyle batting doesn't come under pressure.
Barring a miracle, those crackers are going back into the attic! :-) #IndvsPak
- Vikram Chandra (@vikramchandra) February 15, 2015
1530: Boom goes Afridi! Veteran hits one out of the ground. (Also read: Afridi plays down World Cup curfew breach)
1528: The last time Afridi batted against India, he slammed 34 off 18. His three sixes and two fours were enough to silence Indian fans in Asia Cup 2014. He will need more of those today even as India look to remove him early.
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1524: Afridi in the middle. He has a great reputation of winning matches but is currently busy ducking under Umesh's bouncers.
1521: Out! Jadeja gets an edge of Akmal's bat and the not-out decision is referred. TV umpire goes India's way to leave Pakistan reeling at 103/5.
1516: Out! Umesh gets another and the Indians are all over Pakistan batting. Shoaib Maqsood fails to open his account as his team now pins hope on Misbah.
1513: Out! No century for Shahzad. No fifty either as he falls three short and gifts his wicket to Umesh.
1507: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly says it is crucial for Shahzad to score a century: He has the right temperament. Pakistan will be tested once the ball gets older. One of the top-order batsman has to score a century.
1503: After 21 overs, India were 109/1. Pakistan have scored 97 and lost two wickets in their first 21.
1458: Misbah has come out to join Shahzad. Did you know? Misbah has played 155 ODIs without scoring a single century. His best is 96*. Will today be any different for the Pakistan captain?
1456: Pakistan living dangerously. Shahzad goes for a risky second and has to dive his way in. The bat looked like it may have been in the air but TV umpire perhaps gives benefit of doubt.
1454: Out! Ashwin strikes to end Haris' stubborn fight. Batting on 36, the batsman edges to Raina in the slips. Pakistan 79/2.
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1450: Wasim Akram praises Pakistan's approach to chase at the moment. "Really like how the two are playing right now. They are rotating the strike and have not taken too many risks. That's the way to go," says the former Pakistan captain.
1443: Ashwin's second over sees Haris and Shahzad score five runs. Drinks break for both teams.
1440: Pakistan 67/1 after 15 overs. India were 71/1 at this stage.
1434: Ashwin bowls a maiden over.
1432: Dhoni brings in Ashwin into the attack. Will spin be Pakistan's undoing?
1426: Pakistan complete 50 runs in 11.3 overs. India brought up 50 in exactly 12 overs.
1418: Mohit and Shami keeping things tidy here. Shehzad, in particular, has been more respectful of the two towards the bowlers.
1410: Haris has quickly moved himself to the 20s. His batting strike rate is close to 100. Shehzad at the other end is careful and has barely just crossed single digits.
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1358: Run-out chance is missed! Confusion between the Pakistani batsman but Dhoni collects the throw only to knock the stumps at his end instead of the other where the batsman was struggling to get back.
1355: Haris lashes out. He takes on Umesh and hits three fours in an over. The left-handed batsman from Sialkot has 11 first-class tons.
1351: How often does one see Indian pacers using bouncers to good effect? How frequently do they touch speeds close to 140kph? Quite often if you ask Adelaide fans today as the trio of Shami, Umesh and Mohit Sharma test Pakistan.
1346: Haris Sohail has joined Shahzad in the middle. The 26-year-old has two fifties from 11 ODIs but will need to play the long innings today.
1344: Out! Shami thunders Down Under and Younis (6) falls. The bouncer caught the batsman surprised and he top-edges for MS Dhoni to complete a regulation catch.
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1338: Umesh bowls a loose one on the pads and Younis is not the one to miss out on dollies. He flicks it to the leg-side boundary for the first four of the chase.
1335: Shami gets the new ball and he hits Shahzad with one of his deliveries. This is good, pacey bowling from the Indian to begin with.
1328: Pakistan openers are out for the steep run chase ahead. Younis Khan has loads of experience and with him is Ahmed Shahzad. "Shahzad has a bit of attitude, for the better," says former Pakistan captain Rameez Raja. "He would look to dominate."
1324: Did you know? Sohail Khan had not played an ODI since 2011. Brought in to face India today, he claims five for 55. Did you also know? Kohli is only the third Indian to score 100-plus in Adelaide - the other two being Ganguly (141 vs Pakistan) and Laxman (131 vs Zimbabwe).
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1312: Sri Lanka is the only team to have chased down a 300-plus total at Adelaide. The team beat England (302/3) in January, 1999. (Also see: Zimbabwe lose five key wickets against South Africa)
1310: Interestingly, India's 300/7 is the lowest by a team batting first in this World Cup. It, however, is also India's highest against Pakistan in all World Cups.
1300: Kohli on his knock: I am pleased with how I batted. Wanted to give myself some time and was patient today. I love this ground and want to wrap it up and take it home with me. A century against Pakistan is always great.
1259: End of the innings. India post 300/7 with Kohli and Raina's knock as the main highlights. Pakistan players congratulate each other because the target could have been even more.
1254: Out and out and out! Jadeja, Dhoni and Rahane fall in quick succession to take steam out of India's late push.
1247: Confirmation of Dhoni's massive power! The previous shot for six came off a delivery which was bowled by Wahab at 154.5kph - the fastest ball of this tournament.
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1245: Six! Should have been so much more. Dhoni at his vintage best and his swing sends the ball over like a tracer bullet. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe giving a brilliant fight to South Africa in a strong chase.
1243: Out! Raina's splendid knock ends as he skies the ball and is caught. He has 74 from 56 to show for his efforts today.
1238: India stutter just a little bit. Dhoni takes a while to get used to the pace of scoring and Pakistan keep changing the field to make things aslightly tougher for him.
1229: Out! Kohli edges behind and his epic knock ends on 107. In walks Dhoni and the situation is tailor-made for him.
1219: Raina is in sensational form. He is stepping away to the faster bowlers and whacking the ball to all parts of the ground.
1213: Raina gets to his fifty!
1212: Century for Kohli! That's his 22nd and he has equaled Sourav Gaguly's record. Did you know? Kohli is now the first non-Australian to score four centuries in Adelaide.
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1209: Raina steps out slightly and whacks spinner Yasir for a fantastic six that makes the fans go wild. Even his teammates applaud.
1203: India 217/2 after 40 overs. Afridi comes in with four overs left in his bag. He has conceded 36 runs. Will he have the proper answer to Kohli's threat?
1158: Kohli and Raina complete their 50-run stand.
1153: With a casual wristy flick on the leg-side off Irfan, Kohli gets a four and he enters 90s.
1149: Raina pushes forward and targets Riaz with a few boundaries. He has moved into his 30s.
1147: India complete 200 runs in 37 overs.
1138: The final powerplay comes into effect and perhaps, at the right time. Raina has been in the middle for a while and Kohli is looking extremely dangerous. Score: 192/2 in 35.
1131: Dropped! Kohli gets a massive lifeline as Umar Akmal spills a big edge. India vice-captain on 76. Will he make Akmal the biggest villain in Pakistan today?
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1125: Suresh Raina makes his way out to the middle.
1123: Out! Dhawan (73) was quite unstoppable today and a run-out perhaps was the only way he would go. He want for the run but confusion with Kohli - who was on strike - spells his doom. Pakistan celebrate and now eye a comeback.
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1111: Experts and fans have been raving about the maturity shown by Indian batsmen today. After a horrible few matches Down Under in both Tests and ODIs, this has been a good batting display.
India's batsmen have run beautifully between wickets. And so are able to play low risk shots for runs.
- Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) February 15, 2015
1105: Irfan gets his second warning for stepping onto the middle of the pitch in his follow-up.
1101:There is great rivalry between the two teams but the players have so far looked extremely professional. Apart from one minor instance where Dhawan stared at the bowler, there have been no unfortunate incident. Even when Afridi threw at the stumps but hit Kohli on his back, the Indian only smiled to show his pain.
1048: Fifty for Kohli! He took 60 deliveries to reach the milestone - a confident knock and a casual raise of the bat to acknowledge the cheer.
1043: Fifty for Dhawan! This is his 12th in ODIs and took him 54 balls. (Dhawan's fifty in pics)
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1038: India complete 100 runs in 20.3 overs. Kohli whacks the ball through long-off to help India reach three-figure mark. He then drops on the backfoot to slap another four and enter 40s.
1029: Dhawan breezes into his 40s. This has been a solid knock but would count for little if he falters now. Indian fans would want him to last the distance.
Come on India! Make it 6-0 in the World Cup! #IndvsPak #CWC15
- Vikram Chandra (@vikramchandra) February 15, 2015
1020: Wahab Riaz generating a lot of pace. None of his deliveries have been less than the 140kph mark. Pakistan have been using Afridi from the other end in a bid to not let the two batsmen settle in. Dhawan and Kohli though have stitched together a partnership which is in its 40s.
1018: At the drinks break, Irfan was seen receiving some massage from the Pakistani support staff. He didn't look in any evident discomfort though.
1015: India score 71 runs from first 15 overs. Rohit's wicket the only blemish so far.
1004: Kohli vs Afridi is a mouth-watering battle in any tournament and in any condition. The two are currently showing each other a lot of respect. Their duel is one of our five top duels to watch out for in this match.
1003: Kohli finds a fluent four. India bring up 50 in 12 overs.
1000: What do you make of India's batting so far? Has Rohit's wicket stunted a free-flowing start? Do Pakistani bowlers have an answer to Dhawan? Let us know my mailing at myvoice@ndtv.com or tweet using @cricketndtv.
0953: Kohli pulls but has to check the shot at the last minute. The ball almost flies to the fielder but drops in the nick of time to bring a loud sigh of relief from the Indian fans.
0945: Meanwhile, Dhawan is in a zone of his own. Regardless of what's happening at the other end, he is looking at ease.
0940: Kohli walks out to a loud cheer.
0939: Out! Rohit tries to do a Dhawan but gets an outside edge off Sohail and falls for 15. India: 34/1
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0930: Dhawan pulls Irfan and gets a six for his efforts! Great shot from a man who is looking extremely confident today.
0921: Rohit slams a four off Irfan's bowling and he made it look absolutely effortless. So, both openers now with a boundary each.
0919: Dhawan drives Sohail for the first four of the innings. What a glorious shot and what a reception from the fans. It was almost like the Indian team has already won!
0915: Irfan getting dangerous bounce from the track. One of his deliveries surprises Dhawan but the top edge falls in no man's land.
0900: Sohail Khan is the bowler from the other end. He is a talented prospect but Dhawan and Rohit are established players who are known to shine in pressure situations.
0855: Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma open the innings. Mohammad Irfan, at seven feet one, takes the new ball for Pakistan.
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0846: Pakistan XI: Ahmed Shehzad, Younis Khan, Harris Sohail, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Sohail Khan, Mohammad Irfan
0845: India XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami
0843: India win toss, opt to bat vs Pakistan. Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja picked.
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0810: The biggest duels today? Here are popular guesses. Have your say at myvoice@ndtv.com
0805: NDTV's Nikhil Naz who is just outside Adelaide Oval says fans can been seen for over a kilometer all across the stadium. "This is not Australia anymore. The energy is electric," he says.
0800: A fantastic afternoon in Adelaide and it is not a city in Australia today! It is painted in the Indian tri-colour and the Pakistani green.
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Adelaide is 9550 kilometers away from New Delhi - India's center of power. Add another 675 kilometers away from Pakistan's capital Islamabad. And yet, the two major countries of the subcontinent will transgress the global lengths and breadths to turn their attention towards Australia's fifth-largest city.
Geographical discourse used in cricketing context aside, India vs Pakistan is an epic clash. Period!
Team in Focus: India
World champions India are desperate to retain the Cup of Cups. Desperate, not eager or keen as much as simply desperate. And there's a reason why.
Form has been tardy, consistency has been a concern and the only win since the team's flight Down Under in November has been against Afghanistan in a warm-up match. They are world champions but they hardly look the part. (TOP 5 CLASHES)
What works for Team India:
The biggest advantage that the Indians have over their Pakistani counterpart is that they have never lost to them in a World Cup. Regardless of how close and tense the matches have been, the years 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 have seen the tri-colour flying high and handsome.
If past records though could win a cricket match, India would be unbeatable.
Players however can make a team unbeatable and that's where the likes of captain MS Dhoni and vice-captain Virat Kohli come in. India's strength lies in their batting and while Kohli can set the stage on fire, Dhoni can spark the final pyrotechnics with his late blitz. The absence of Pakistan's spin sensation Saeed Ajmal and an injured Mohammad Hafeez can ease the pressure.
What doesn't work for India:
Star players have not been in the best of form. Opener Shikhar Dhawan in particular has struggled on uncharacteristically flat Aussie pitch. A lackluster top-order has repeatedly banked on middle and lower-order lineup to throw the innings a lifeline. Ordinary batting can be devastating.
What is surely a concern is the bowling. India's pace battery suffered a crucial blow when Ishant Sharma limped out even before the tournament began. The remaining bowlers definitely have a right to be in the team but do they have the might to exert pressure on Pakistani batsmen who are well-known to crack?
Team in Focus: Pakistan
Ask any Pakistan fan why the national team has failed against India in World Cups and the standard reply is the team's overall record against the rivals. That Pakistan have won 72 duels as against India's 50 does lend a lot of credence to this line of argument. But as with India's record in World Cups, past numbers cannot guarantee wins to Pakistan either.
What works for Pakistan:
The biggest cheer in the Pakistan camp comes from the fact that the Indians are not in the best of form. Not that Pakistan team itself is in great shape but watching the rival's dismal performance in Australia can surely boost morale. "They (Pakistan's World Cup 2015 players) can be the team that breaks the record. They could be the ones that make history," chief selector Moin Khan said recently.
A look at the lineup will reveal that while many superstars are missing, there is no dearth in talent. The main weapon would be the bowling and that's where Mohammad Irfan would be absolutely pivotal. Such is his prowess that his reputation precedes him and the Indian were seen batting against deliveries from a greater height than usual during their net session. Just for the record, Irfan is a seven feet one inch tall and a pacer at that!
Add 'Boom-Boom' Shahid Afridi and experienced captain-cum-finisher Misbah-ul-Haq and one has the recipe for success.
What doesn't work for Pakistan:
For all their raw talent, Pakistani cricketers are also comparatively more susceptible to succumbing under pressure. "India have won all their World Cup matches against us because they played well and deserved to win," admitted Moin. Even former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar told NDTV that Pakistan cricketers would be better off if they don't let pressure get to them. "Both teams are out of form but Pakistan cricketers have been guilty of feeling the pressure (when playing against India in a World Cup) more than us," he said.
If the team buckles, the dismay of not having Ajmal and Hafeez can be felt even bigger than it already is, going forward in the tournament.