Babar Azam's Pakistan failed to put up a fight with the bat in the high-octane clash against hosts India at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Pakistan lost eight wickets for just 36 runs and were bowled out for 191.
Pakistan started off well but lost the wicket of in-form Abdullah Shafique to Mohammed Siraj in the eighth over. Imam-ul-Haq who had been out of form hit a few boundaries. Hardik Pandya managed to get an edge off his bat which carried to KL Rahul. Babar and Mohammad Rizwan shared an 82-run partnership for the third wicket.
When Babar and Rizwan were in the middle, it seemed like they would end up posting a total of around 300. But Siraj came back into the attack and got Babar's wicket with the peach of a delivery. He scored 50 runs from 58 balls. Then Kuldeep Yadav trapped Saud Shakeel in front of the stumps as the review went their way. In the same over, Iftikhar Ahmed went for the second sweep shot but dragged the ball onto the stumps.
Under immense pressure, Rizwan failed to capitalise as well. Bumrah got through his defense as he missed his half-century by just one run. Bumrah in his next over dismissed Shadab Khan. Pandya sent Mohammad Nawaz packing in the 40th over. Ravindra Jadeja cleaned up the tail with the wickets of tailenders Hasan Ali and Haris Rauf.
Bumrah, Siraj, Pandya, Yadav and Jadeja picked up two wickets each. This is only the third instance that five bowlers have taken two wickets each in a World Cup match. The last instance of Indian bowlers achieving the feat was in 2011 against Pakistan in the semi-final clash in Mohali.
The total of 191 is Pakistan's third-lowest total against India in the World Cup. Their lowest of 173 came in the 1992 edition when they went on to win the trophy. In 199, they were bowled out for 180. The score of 191 is their lowest against India in World Cups in the 21st century.
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