IND vs PAK, T20 World Cup 2024: India script incredible turnaround to stun Pakistan in low-scoring thriller

The Indian men’s cricket team scripted an incredible turnaround to beat arch-rivals Pakistan by six runs in its second ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Group A match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Sunday.

Sent in to bat first by Pakistan, India struggled and were bundled out for just 119 in 19 overs. Only Rishabh Pant, with 42 off 31, managed to put up some sort of resistance as Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf scalped three wickets each.

Chasing a low total, Pakistan seemed to be in the driver’s seat right until the 15th over before some sensational death bowling from India restricted them to 113. This was the lowest total ever defended by India in a T20I match.

After a rain-interrupted start, India’s innings suffered two early blows as both Rohit Sharma (13) and Virat Kohli (4) departed early. India were struggling at 19/2 at the stage.

With the Nassau County pitch, damp from the preceding showers, offering a lot of purchase to the bowlers, Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel (20 off 18) lived dangerously but managed to string together a partnership to steady the ship before Naseem cleaned up Axar’s stumps.

While Rishabh Pant continued to try and play his natural aggressive game at one end, India kept leaking wickets from the other as Suryakumar Yadav (7) and Shivam Dube (3) departed in quick succession.

After Mohammad Amir accounted for Pant and Ravindra Jadeja (0) off successive balls, India were reeling at 96/7.

Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj also failed to mount a late surge as India’s innings wrapped up for 119 in 19 overs.

Jasprit Bumrah provided India with an early breakthrough by removing Azam (13) in the fifth over. Usman Khan (13) and Mohammad Rizwan took Pakistan past the 50-run mark before Axar trapped the former LBW.

Pant’s fantastic catch to help Hardik remove Fakhar Zaman from the board opened up a crack of opportunity for India. Bumrah’s reintroduction in the 15th over stretched it even wider as the Indian ace knocked over Rizwan’s middle stump with the first ball

With 37 to get from the final five overs, the match was only slightly tilted towards Pakistan due to their wickets in hand.

A tight follow-up over from Axar, which yielded just three runs, turned the screws on Pakistan and Hardik capitalised by sending Shadab Khan (4) back to the dugout.

Needing 30 off the final three, Pakistan needed to step on the pedal but Indian bowlers kept a lid on things to script a sensational victory. Bumrah, with figures of 3/14 in his four overs, was the pick of the lot.

The victory propelled India to the top of Group A with four points from two matches. Pakistan, meanwhile, slumped to their second straight loss.

The Indian men’s cricket team will play the United States in its next Group A T20 World Cup match at the same venue on Wednesday.

India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 brief scores: India 119/10 in 19 overs (Rishabh Pant 42; Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf 3/21) beat Pakistan 113/7 in 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 31; Jasprit Bumrah 3/14) by six runs.