India versus Pakistan is always a big-ticket encounter and the match on 14th October 2023, lived up to its billing. With more than 1,30,000 people in the stadium, this high-octane clash was unarguably, the biggest clash in this ICC ODI World Cup 2023 tournament, thus far.
Rohit Sharma and co. registered a fantastic 7-wicket victory over Pakistan and took their head-to-head record in ODI World Cups, to 8-0. The entire nation was filled with pride and affection for the Indian cricket team as they made sure that everyone has a sound sleep at night.
Pakistan surrendered in front of India’s mighty bowling attack and their batting department, looked meek despite a strong start. And defending 192 is always tough!
In this article, we take a look at the top 3 talking points of IND vs PAK in the ongoing ICC ODI World Cup 2023:
1. Jasprit Bumrah’s magical bowling
India’s most dependable pacer across all the formats, Jasprit Bumrah once again left an indelible mark in the IND vs PAK game at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. As he can adapt to any situation and any condition, Bumrah quickly adapted to the low bounce in this pitch.
Especially his wicket of Mohammad Rizwan, where he knocked him over, was extra special. Bumrah deservedly bagged the player of the match award for taking 2 wickets and having an extraordinary economy of 2.71. He just conceded 19 runs in his 7 overs and also had a maiden under his belt.
2. Pakistan’s huge collapse
At a time in the 1st innings, Pakistan were at 155-2 and were cruising towards a formidable total. But then thunderstorms struck them and they were battered by the Indian bowlers. Pakistan eventually slipped on a banana peel and were 168/6 at one juncture.
Babar Azam and co. eventually couldn’t even cross the 200 mark and they only have themselves to blame. After Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Iftikhar Ahmed and Saud Shakeel in a single over, skipper Rohit Sharma brought his best bowler in the form of Jasprit Bumrah.
Bumrah then dismissed the set batter, Mohammad Rizwan, for 49 and it was the final nail in the coffin for the visitors.
3. Rohit Sharma’s classy innings
Despite Shubman Gill’s early dismissal, Rohit Sharma didn’t shy away from playing his new ultra-aggressive playing style. He smeared the Pakistani bowlers all across the ground and scored 86 runs in 63 balls.
Rohit looked extremely classy and smashed 6 fours and 6 sixes. He had a wonderful strike-rate of 136.51 and was an epitome of class and commitment.
Also read: ICC ODI World Cup 2023: Why is Rashid Khan Not Being Able To Perform Well Against Big Teams?
