T20 World Cup: Pant and bowlers pull off India a six-run win over Pakistan

After Rishabh Pant's aggressive innings, the excellent performance of the bowlers led by Jasprit Bumrah helped India make a strong comeback here on Sunday in a rain-affected low-scoring match of Group A of the ICC T20 World Cup and beat Pakistan by six runs.

Chasing India's target of just 120 runs, Pakistan could only score 113 runs for seven wickets in front of the sharp bowling of Jasprit Bumrah (three wickets for 14 runs) and Hardik Pandya (two wickets for 24 runs).

Axar Patel (one wicket for 11 runs) and Arshdeep Singh (one wicket for 31 runs) took one wicket each. Mohammad Siraj bowled economically, giving only 19 runs in four overs but he did not get any success.

Mohammad Rizwan (31) was the top scorer for Pakistan. Apart from him, however, no batsman could even cross the 15-run mark.

Chasing the target, Pakistan was in a good position at one point with 80 runs for three wickets in 14 overs, but after that the bowlers made a comeback and gave India the win.

India earlier collapsed to 119 runs in 19 overs in front of the sharp bowling of Naseem Shah (three wickets for 21 runs) and Haris Rauf (three wickets for 21 runs). Mohammad Aamir took two wickets for 23 runs while Shaheen Shah Afridi (one wicket for 29 runs) took one wicket.

For India, Pant scored the highest 42 runs with the help of six fours in 31 balls. Apart from him, only Axar Patel (20) and captain Rohit Sharma (13) could reach double figures. India lost the last seven wickets by adding only 30 runs.

Chasing the target, Pakistan started cautiously and scored 35 runs for one wicket in the power play.

Captain Babar Azam hit the first four of the innings off Siraj. Mohammad Rizwan was lucky on a score of seven runs when Shivam Dubey dropped a very easy catch of him at fine leg off Jasprit Bumrah.

Mohammed Siraj also dropped Babar's catch off his own ball in the next over.

Babar (13) hit a four off Bumrah but was caught by Suryakumar Yadav at slip on the next ball.

Rizwan hit the first six of the innings off Hardik Pandya.

Usman Khan (13) was lucky when Pandya missed the chance to run him out off his own ball.

Axar got Usman lbw off his very first ball. The on-field umpire had not given him out but the decision went in India's favour after taking DRS.

Fakhar Zaman (13) showed his attitude with a six off Akshar as soon as he came and then hit a four off Arshdeep.

Pandya got India the third success by getting Fakhar caught by wicketkeeper Pant.

Bumrah then returned to bowling and bowled Rizwan off the very first ball. He faced 44 balls and hit a four and a six.

Pakistan needed 37 runs to win in the last five overs.

Axar gave only two runs in the 16th over while in Pandya's next over, Shadab Khan (04) waving the ball in the air gave an easy catch to Pant. Only five runs were scored in this over as well.

Siraj's 18th over scored nine runs, leaving Pakistan needing 21 runs in the last two overs.

Pakistan's century of runs was completed in the 19th over. Bumrah got Iftikhar (05) caught by Arshdeep and gave only three runs in the over.

Arshdeep had to stop Pakistan from scoring 18 runs in the last over. He got Imad (15) caught by Pant off the very first ball. Naseem Shah (10 not out) hit two consecutive fours but could not get Pakistan the win.

Earlier, the match started with a delay of 50 minutes due to rain. Babar won the toss and decided to bowl first. Rohit hit a six in Shaheen's very first over but after that it rained again and the game was halted for more than half an hour.

When the match resumed, Virat Kohli (04) opened his account with a four off Naseem but got caught by Usman Khan at cover point a ball later.

In Shaheen's next over, Rohit (13) also got caught by Rauf at deep square leg.

Axar hit a four and a six off consecutive balls of Shaheen. Pant sent Aamir's ball to the boundary but Usman dropped his difficult catch on the next ball.

India scored 50 runs for two wickets in the power play.

Naseem bowled Akshar off a straight ball to give India the third blow. Akshar scored 20 runs in 18 balls with two fours and a six.

Suryakumar Yadav opened his account with a straight four off Naseem as soon as he came.

Pant then hit a ball from left-arm spinner Imad Wasim in the air but Usman could not catch it.

Pant took advantage of the lifeline and welcomed Rauf with three consecutive fours.

Suryakumar, however, got caught by Aamir at mid-off off Rauf's ball after scoring just seven runs.

Shivam Dubey also got caught by Naseem off his own ball after scoring just three runs in nine balls.

Pant also got caught by Babar after hitting Aamir's ball in the air while Ravindra Jadeja (00) caught Imad off the next ball, taking India's score from 89 for three to 96 for seven in the 15th over.

India's century of runs was completed in the 16th over.

Hardik Pandya (07) hit his first four off Rauf but got caught by Iftikhar Ahmed on the boundary a ball later. Jasprit Bumrah (00) was also caught by Imad off the next ball.

India's innings ended with the run out of Arshdeep Singh (09).

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