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Pakistan hit out at partisan World Cup atmosphere after India thrashing
Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur hit out at the atmosphere during his side’s showdown with India on Saturday, claiming the clash was more akin to a BCCI match than a World Cup encounter.
Hosts India packed out the 130,000 capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and cruised to victory to maintain their perfect start in the Cricket World Cup, winning by seven wickets.
Tournament organisers had waited until India vs Pakistan to showcase the opening ceremony, in what has been claimed as an expression of political power. Pakistan fans and journalists faced delays over their visas for the match, which was played in front of an overwhelmingly partisan Indian crowd.
Afterwards, Arthur expressed his dissatisfaction and said: “Look, I’d be lying if I said. . . it didn’t seem like an ICC event, tonight, to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI event. I didn’t hear ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ coming through the microphones too often tonight.
“So yes, that does play a role, but I’m not going to use that as an excuse because for us, it was about living the moment, it was about the next ball and it was about how we were going to combat the Indian players tonight.”
When pressed on the atmosphere and whether it was appropriate for a World Cup, Arthur added: “Look I don’t think I can comment on that just yet. I don’t want to get fined.”
India captain Rohit Sharma said his side treated it like just another game in a long World Cup and said maintaining an unbeaten streak over Pakistan – they’ve never lost a match in the tournament to them – was never on their minds.
“This was an opposition we wanted to play against because we want to play quality opposition,” he said.
“Every opposition we come up against in this tournament is quality and can beat you on any particular day.
“What has happened in the past or might happen in the future doesn’t matter too much. You have to play well on that particular day.”
India vs Pakistan: as it happened
04:20 PM BST
Carlos Brathwaite on BBC TMS
“Shaheen Afridi is not having that prodigious swing at pace that we’re used to seeing. Something just looks a bit off.
“Hassan Ali doesn’t have the pace that he had when he burst onto the scene. He has all the tools, he’s just lost a little bit of pace and it gives batters a bit more time when the ball is coming down.
“Those little 1% things make all the difference.”
04:19 PM BST
Waqar Younis on BBC TMS
“Critics will be talking about Babar’s captaincy. He didn’t really think out of the box, it was pretty flat.
“In this sort of situation, you want to see your captain really doing something different to put pressure on the opposition and it didn’t really happen. Shaheen also not really delivering that Pakistan are used to. So there are issues.
“I don’t know who is fit or not fit but if they’re not fit they shouldn’t be playing. I’m not taking anything away from the India bowlers because it was their bowling more than poor Pakistan batting.”
04:10 PM BST
Waqar Younis on BBC TMS
“Pakistan were sitting pretty good after beating Sri Lanka and today’s defeat looks very ordinary.
“They have to really sit back and fix their issues. Batting, Babar Azam looked pretty good but didn’t go on and get a big one, all of the top four made starts but nobody kept going. That’s another issue.
“Then losing eight wickets in 12 overs is a no-go zone. Pakistan need to work out what needs to be done because they have big matches to play against England, South Africa and New Zealand.
04:09 PM BST
Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta on BBC TMS
“That has been the story of India v Pakistan games in World Cups. There have been eight games now and none of them have been close.
“A little disappointing from that aspect, especially when for the 30 overs, it looked like Pakistan would get up to 280 or 290.
“But from then onwards it was totally domination from the Indian side. A game like this boils down to how you handle pressure.”
04:03 PM BST
The thoughts of India captain Rohit Sharma
“The bowlers were the ones today who set the game for us again. Restricting them to 190 was a great effort. I don’t think it was a 190 pitch.
“Whoever gets the ball, does the job for the team and that’s something we pride ourselves in and speak about. We have six individuals who can get wickets for us.
“My jobs as captain is important to read the conditions, who is the best guy and who can trouble the batters. It’s something I keep assessing and figure out who the right person to do the job is.
“We don’t want to get get our hopes too high or too low. We want to keep balanced, that’s the key. It’s a long tournament.
“For us, this was a quality opposition we wanted to play against and this is how we want to look at all the teams in the tournament.
“What has happened in the past or the future doesn’t matter. We just have to play well on the day.”
03:59 PM BST
Waqar Younis on BBC TMS
“If you’re really honest and look at the balance of the side, the teams in form, Pakistan are right at the bottom of the three or four sides aiming for the semi-finals.
“They need to hit form, Shaheen Afridi to start taking early wickets, Haris Rauf to take wickets and we’re not really scoring enough runs so it will be tough against good sides.”
03:57 PM BST
The thoughts of Pakistan captain Babar Azam
“We started well. I had a good partnership with Imam and Rizwan. We were building a partnership and then had a collapse in the middle order. We didn’t finish well.
“It was not good for us. The way we started we targeted 280 but the collapse cost us and the total score was not good.
“With the new ball we are not up to the mark. I think the way Rohit played was outstanding.”
03:50 PM BST
Jasprit Bumrah speaking post-match
“It felt good, usually you try to analyse the wicket as soon as possible. When we started bowling, we knew the wicket was on the slower side.
“We knew as soon as the ball got a bit older the ball would reverse a little bit and grip a little bit too. We were waiting for that and trying to make it as difficult as possible.
“When I was young I used to ask a lot of questions and now that I am experienced, I am able to read the wickets quickly and try different options.
“I saw Jadeja’s ball was turning a little bit but there was no consistent turn, so I thought the slower ball to Rizwan will be a good option and it gripped, it was just one of those days.”
03:48 PM BST
Bumrah Man of the Match
Jasprit Bumrah's exceptional effort with the ball helps him win the @aramco #POTM 👌#CWC23 | #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/YAgPgawSMT
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) October 14, 2023
03:43 PM BST
Carlos Brathwaite on BBC TMS
“Convincing victory from India. As dominating as you will get.
“The game certainly didn’t live up to the hype but it furthers our opinions and predictions that India are the team to beat at home in this World Cup.
“They have all skillsets covered and are admirably led by the champion Rohit Sharma.”
03:40 PM BST
Waqar Younis on BBC TMS
“This will dent Pakistan’s confidence big time. Even today, I wouldn’t say they played badly.
“They were in control after 30 overs but after that, they had no clue how to bat against Kuldeep, Bumrah was outstanding.
“This will really damage Pakistan’s confidence because they’ve got massive games coming up. But this will only be their first loss.”
03:40 PM BST
Indian fans entertained
In the gigantic arena that is the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, well over 100,000 Indian fans were entertained. Perhaps the Pakistan players were overawed by the occasion. India are delighted to maintain their 100% record, Pakistan will have to take stock after a heavy defeat.
03:36 PM BST
INDIA WIN BY SEVEN WICKETS!
An emphatic way to complete an emphatic victory for India over Pakistan. Shreyas Iyer goes to fifty with a thump over Nawaz’s head for four and that is three out of three for India. They win with over 19 overs to spare.
India continue their unbeaten run against Pakistan in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup with an emphatic win in Ahmedabad 👊#CWC23 | #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/OG4EgMkPg4
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) October 14, 2023
"India finish things off with an emphatic win against Pakistan" 💪
The moment that secured the hosts their third-straight win in the World Cup 🇮🇳🎆 pic.twitter.com/aXvEBs2Miw— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) October 14, 2023
03:34 PM BST
OVER 30: IND 186/3 (Iyer 48 Rahul 18) chasing 192
Hasan Ali has now replaced Haris Rauf. And he is brutally thrashed back past him by Rahul down to the long-on boundary for four. Pakistan’s next game is against Australia, who are struggling, in Bangalore on Friday. They do not need to panic after this heavy defeat as they won their opening two games but what will concern them is the manner of this defeat. Just six more runs for India to get now.
03:29 PM BST
OVER 29: IND 182/3 (Iyer 48 Rahul 14) chasing 192
Rahul drills Nawaz down the ground and it should be cut out by Iftikhar at long-off but it is a really poor piece of fielding. Four more to the total and India are nearly there. Just 10 more runs needed for a dominant, one-sided victory.
03:26 PM BST
OVER 28: IND 176/3 (Iyer 47 Rahul 9) chasing 192
Pakistan’s bowling has certainly improved in the last five or six overs but it is all too late. They did not get anywhere near enough runs and Rohit Sharma blew Pakistan out of the game.
A nice back-foot punch through the covers brings Rahul a couple. Without taking any risks India are strolling to their total. They are close to making it three wins from three to join New Zealand on a 100% record.
03:22 PM BST
OVER 27: IND 170/3 (Iyer 45 Rahul 5) chasing 192
KL Rahul is taking his time to get going here but he has all the time in the world, due to his captain’s display. Two runs of that Nawaz over. Just the 22 runs needed in a mere 23 overs.
03:18 PM BST
OVER 26: IND 168/3 (Iyer 44 Rahul 4) chasing 192
Haris Rauf has come on to replace Shaheen Shah Afridi. A lovely cover drive from Iyer brings him a couple of runs. He did not try to hit it too hard, he just punched it with the full face of the bat for two. Three off the over, all off Iyer’s bat.
03:14 PM BST
OVER 25: IND 165/3 (Iyer 41 Rahul 4) chasing 192
India can afford to take their time here but they will want to win as quickly as possible due to the huge benefit to the net run-rate. Three singles of that Nawaz over and the target is honing into sight. Under 30 runs to get now.
Carlos Brathwaite on BBC TMS:
“At this rate, I don’t think India are going to need that enhanced net run-rate. I expect them to go through to that final four and do so handsomely but a good net run-rate always helps.”
03:11 PM BST
OVER 24: IND 162/3 (Iyer 39 Rahul 3) chasing 192
This is good, tight bowling from Shaheen Shah Afridi but it is all too little too late for Pakistan. The game was gone a long time ago. Just the one single for Iyer off that over. India need just 30 more runs yet they are only halfway through their allotted overs. That just shows the dominance of India in this game.
03:07 PM BST
OVER 23: IND 161/3 (Iyer 38 Rahul 3) chasing 192
Thanks Rob. One could say that Rob has done all the hard yards and I have come in to finish it off in style!
This win will certainly improve India’s net run-rate dramatically but will severely damage Pakistan’s. That wicket of Sharma denied him an eighth World Cup hundred to extend his own record. The four singles off Nawaz’s latest over. It is very easy for India as they stroll to a comfortable win.
03:03 PM BST
OVER 22: IND 157/3 (Iyer 36 Rahul 1) chasing 192
Shaheen returns and restores some order though they burgle a couple of quick singles, Babar missing the stumps from mid-on which would have run Iyer out. KL Rahul walks to the crease after Shaheen enjoys the hollow victory of dismissing Rohit and silencing the crowd.
Here’s Kieran Crichard for the end game.
03:01 PM BST
Wicket!
Rohit c Iftikhar v Shaheen 86 Slower ball and Rohit closes the face and spoons it to short midwicket to end his 86-ball knock which included six fours and half a dozen sixes. FOW 156/3
GOT HIM!
The end of a special innings from Rohit Sharma 👏 pic.twitter.com/r8qQttnPBQ— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) October 14, 2023
02:57 PM BST
OVER 21: IND 154/2 (Rohit 85 Iyer 35) chasing 192
Shreyas Iyer uses his feet to come down and launches Nawaz over long on for six then works the single to give his captain the strike. Rohit thrashes a cut in front of square and Imam makes a bold attempt to stop it, sprawling into a headlong dive but his hand claws the ball back on to his leg then hits his other knee just as he made contact with the boundary cushion.
Rohit Sharma Strike Rate v Pace in Overs 1-10 in this Cricket World Cup
Full : 211.1
Good Length : 136.4
Hard Length : 126.1
Short : 360.0#INDvPAK #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/8D2dACAdnr— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 14, 2023
02:54 PM BST
OVER 20: IND 142/2 (Rohit 80 Iyer 28) chasing 192
Rohit fetches a long hop that turns away from the right hander and toes it wide of mid-on for two. That’s the ugly sister of his strokes. Shadab drops short again and Rohit hammers it through Shaheen’s dive for four. Next ball slips out of his hand and Rohit slaps the full toss 10 rows back at deep midwicket. That’s his sixth six.
02:50 PM BST
OVER 19: IND 129/2 (Rohit 68 Iyer 27) chasing 192
The ball is skidding on now and Nawaz starts with three dot balls before being milked for three singles that bring up the fifty partnership.
INTENT is the big difference between India and Pakistan batters. Indian batters are so much more positive with their approach.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) October 14, 2023
Speechless 😶 #PAKvIND
— Kamran Akmal (@KamiAkmal23) October 14, 2023
02:48 PM BST
OVER 18: IND 126/2 (Rohit 67 Iyer 25) chasing 192
Shadab tosses one up for the first time in a while and Iyer, wearing a cap now, launches an enormous lofted off drive that would have cricked Shadab’s neck had he turned in time to watch it sail for six. But he skids the next one through and a luckier bowler may have got the snick when Iyer went to cut but missed it.
02:43 PM BST
OVER 17: IND 118/2 (Rohit 66 Iyer 18) chasing 192
Nice, tidy over from Nawaz, taken for only two singles. Not that it will change anything.
02:41 PM BST
OVER 16: IND 116/2 (Rohit 65 Iyer 17) chasing 192
‘I’ve been to sporting events all over the world for many years,’ says Matthew Hayden, ‘but I’ve never been to anything bigger than this.’
Rohit square drives Shadab for four, opening the face even further to fillet it behind backward point. That is where Shadab fields and he is Pakistan’s best fielder by a country mile. So when he has a pop at the fielder for an arthritic dive, he may know what he’s talking about.
02:33 PM BST
OVER 15: IND 111/2 (Rohit 61 Iyer 16) chasing 192
Dinesh Karthik is verging on the sacrilegious when he says Rohit’s only equal as a puller is Ricky Ponting ... but actually he is right and this time he absolutely carts Haris’s rapid bouncer, kissing the sky as it arcs over deep backwards square for six.
On come the drinks.
02:29 PM BST
OVER 14: IND 101/2 (Rohit 52 Iyer 15) chasing 192
Time for Joe Dolce’s favourite player. Shadab starts with a flattish leg-break and Rohit strokes it down to long on for the single that brings up his fifty. Iyer drills a drive to long off for another and they milk three more to the sweepers.
02:27 PM BST
OVER 13: IND 96/2 (Rohit 49 Iyer 13) chasing 192
Haris strays on to Iyer’s pads and all he has to do is caress it round the corner and it smokes a trail to the boundary. Iyer, waiting for the bouncer, plays it well, collaring it in front of square for a single. Rohit, a pulling prince to Iyer’s pauper, makes a mess of one but still swats it hard enough for a single.
02:22 PM BST
OVER 12: IND 88/2 (Rohit 47 Iyer 7) chasing 192
Hasan tries Haris’s trick of the bouncer but he is a 79 mph swinger not a 90+ mph rocket man. Iyer pulls him contemptuously for four and then picks off three more singles before Haris has another chance to ruffle some feathers.
02:18 PM BST
OVER 11: IND 81/2 (Rohit 45 Iyer 0) chasing 192
Rauf cranks it up to 91mph for a yorker to Iyer who chisels it out and watches in anguish a sit carroms back ... but just past the stumps. Pakistan reckon Iyer doesn’t like it up him and treats him to two bouncers, one of which he evades, the other he takes his eye off and pulls it high over square leg and the ball lands safe.
Haris tries some pantomime stuff, too. hurling the ball back to the keeper after stopping a defensive in his followthrough. The crowd treats him like Captain Hook, booing pretty good naturedly, I think.
02:14 PM BST
OVER 10: IND 79/2 (Rohit 45 Iyer 0) chasing 192
Babar blinks and takes off Nawaz after only one over … but it works! Hasan elicits the false shot and Nawaz takes the catch to end the first Powerplay.
02:11 PM BST
Wicket!
Kohli c Nawaz b Hasan 16 Bit closer to him outside off than he thought and he cloths the pull off the splice to mid-on. He is absolutely spewing about that. Can’t believe it. FOW 79/2
The crowd is SILENCED 🤫
Virat Kohli is OUT ❌ pic.twitter.com/qkBWK1O05J— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) October 14, 2023
02:08 PM BST
OVER 9: IND 77/1 (Rohit 44 Kohli 15) chasing 192
Rohit is making like Eoin Morgan, leading by example. When he took over the captaincy from Virat India had been playing a very old-fashioned form of white-ball cricket, pootling along until MS Dhoni, even in his dotage, came in to finish. Now there are fireworks from the front and here he walks down to Haris Rauf and smashes two sixes, one over wide long off having picked the slower ball, the other straighter. Between those boundaries, though, he almost kebabbed Kohli with a ridiculous call for a run when he palyed it straight to mid-on. Kohli hesitated, Rohit kept coming and so the old captain did his duty and set off again, prepared to be sawn off had Shaheen’s throw hit the striker’s wicket ... but it didn’t.
02:02 PM BST
OVER 8: IND 63/1 (Rohit 31 Kohli 14) chasing 192
Mohammad Nawaz comes on for some left-arm spin, trying to replicate Jadeja’s control. But Rohit waltzes down to his fourth ball and swipes it to cow corner for six. Brutal.
01:57 PM BST
OVER 7: IND 54/1 (Rohit 23 Kohli 13) chasing 192
Shaheen tries to see if the thing Rohit loves can ‘kill’ him by feeding his hook. Rohit pirouettes and flays it over fine leg for six.
What about Virat on the pull? He rolls his wrists on his short ball and larrups it for four. How about the cover drive? Yes, he nails that too, harpooning it through extra for four more.
The stadium is now packed to the rafters and the crowd are having the time of their lives.
01:52 PM BST
OVER 6: IND 39/1 (Rohit 15 Kohli 5) chasing 192
India, who won the World Cup in 1983 in white and in 2011 in light blue, went for dark blue in 2019 and lost in the semi-final. England, who won in light blue, have gone for dark blue this time round. Who decides these hues?
Just the single off Hasan’s third over, Rohit’s uppish drive that floated wide of the bowler as he tried to grab it.
01:48 PM BST
OVER 5: IND 38/1 (Rohit 15 Kohli 5) chasing 192
Kohli gets off the mark by pushing a drive to mid-off for a single. Shaheen is trying cutters like Siraj and Bumrah, taking the pace off, coming round the wicket to Kohli who ends the over, after his captain gave him the strike with an ugly hoick, by pinging a cover drive for four, the ball rifling to the fence.
01:43 PM BST
OVER 4: IND 31/1 (Rohit 14 Kohli 0) chasing 192
Rohit shows Shubman how to murder a cut stroke, flaying Hasan’s short one past point for four and then leans across to whisk another off off stump through square leg with a twist of the right wrist, timing the pants off it.
Pakistan collapsed from 155 for 2 to 191 all out, 36-8, their worst collapse for the last eight wickets in their history in the Cricket World Cup.#INDvPAK #CWC23
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 14, 2023
01:40 PM BST
OVER 3: IND 23/1 (Rohit 6 Kohli 0) chasing 192
Rohit tries to thrash Shaheen over mid on but there is swing now and it catches the inside half of the bat twice, clothing the first just short of mid-on and the second spirals over square leg and falls safe for a single.
Shaheen Shah Afridi offers more width to Shubman and the shorter length lulls the batsman into a loose shot even if he did thump it.
01:37 PM BST
Wicket!
Gill c Shadab b Shaheen 16 Smacked the living daylights out of the ball and carved it high to point where Shadab needed asbestos hands to cling on. FOW 23/1
01:35 PM BST
OVER 2: IND 22/0 (Rohit 5 Gill 16) chasing 192
Swing for Hasan who, as ever, has ‘Hassan’ on his shirt but no one ever obliges. Gill lets the first one shape away, can’t beat point with his cut off the next and then creams two cover drives for four. The width is giving him all the room in the world. His trigger takes him half a step back and then he takes a stride forward and leans into the stroke.
Hasan decides to go straighter and Shubman flicks it fine for four, the ball flying down to the boundary.
01:30 PM BST
OVER 1: IND 10/0 (Rohit 5 Gill 4) chasing 192
Shaheen Shah Afridi starts with a gentle, length ball on Rohit’s pads and the India captain clips it over square leg off his toes for four. The next ball is fuller and wider and Rohit crouches to stab it behind point for a single. Shubman Gill faces his first ball of the tournament and smears a drive through cover for four. It’s the kind of strike that propelled his rise to No 2 in the ODI batting rankings in barely a year.
Some swing for Shaheen takes the balls on to Gill’s pads as he walks down and they jog a leg-bye.
01:24 PM BST
Here come the umpires
Pakistan huddle on the other side of the rope. Babar is very animated when delivering his final words, telling them, one presumes, that hope springs eternal.
They are joined in the middle by the openers and Shubman Gill making his tournament debut after recovering from dengue fever.
12:58 PM BST
Pakistan 191 all out
Five bowlers took two wickets apiece, only poor Thakur, who was restricted to two overs, went unrewarded. A good opening partnership of 41 was doubled by the third wicket stand of 82 between Babar and Rizwan but as soon as Babar misjudged the line and lost his off stump to Mohammed Siraj, the wheels came off.
The punditry consensus thinks 260 could have been defensible, 190 leaves their bowlers virtually naked with only low bounce and their new-ball excellence to clothe them.
We’ll be back for India’s reply imminently.
12:53 PM BST
Wicket!
Haris Rauf lbw b Jadeja 2 Unusual for Marais Erasmus to get a couple wrong and in his defence that looked to be sliding down but it was hitting the heart of leg stump. FOW 190 all out
12:51 PM BST
IND review
Haris Rauf lbw b Jadeja Looked to be sliding down.
12:49 PM BST
OVER 42: PAK 190/9 (Shaheen 1 Rauf 2)
Five dot balls from Hardik and his maiden is within sight when Shaheen pulls the cutter for a single through midwicket.
12:48 PM BST
OVER 41: PAK 189/9 (Shaheen 0 Rauf 2)
Pakistan’s ship has been well and truly holed by some majestic bowling and rash tail-end shots. Losing seven wickets for 35 has killed them. They should have recalibrated and looked at 250 once Babar was out and given themselves a fighting chance on what looks like a tricky batting pitch.
‘Pakistan doing Pakistan things’ says DK, rehashing the old ‘mercurial Pakistan’ trope so comprehensively demolished by Osman Samiuddin.
"155-2... 187-9" 🫣
"Pakistan doing very Pakistan things now" 😬 pic.twitter.com/ulDksDd0RN— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) October 14, 2023
12:43 PM BST
Wicket!
Hasan Ali c Gill b Jadeja 12 Heaves across the line. slogging it off the top edge and sending it so high up the chimney Fred Dibnah would be complaining of vertigo. Gill steadies himself and take sit calmly when it falls to earth. FOW 187/9
12:41 PM BST
OVER 40: PAK 187/8 (Hasan 12 Shaheen 0)
Clever from Hasan to think Hardik might resume with a loosener and he skips down and dumps a drive over his head for four. No matter he bags his partner and the collapse stands at 35 for six. India are having a blast.
12:39 PM BST
Wicket!
Nawaz c Bumrah b Pandya 4 Steps away to leg to smash it over the offside but the ball sticks in the pitch and he has to fetch it as it dipped, cuffing it to mid-on. FOW 187/8
12:38 PM BST
OVER 39: PAK 182/7 (Nawaz 4 Hasan 7)
Hasan prods at Jadeja, who has replaced Kuldeep, and nicks it between Rohit at slip and the keeper for four. It was Rohit’s catch, but unlike Virat who too a blinder to his left at first slip against Australia, Rohit cannot get there.
12:34 PM BST
OVER 38: PAK 176/7 (Nawaz 3 Hasan 2)
Only a wide and leg-bye off Bumrah’s seventh over as Hasan chisels out yorkers and clings on.
12:30 PM BST
OVER 37: PAK 174/7 (Nawaz 3 Hasan 2)
Kuldeep is bowling out, finishing an eight-over spell. Hasan clumps an off drive for a single down to long off. Kuldeep lures the left-handed Nawaz forward and elicits enough bounce to strike the glove and the ball balloons wide of slip.
He takes his cap with 10-0-35-2, having bamboozled as fine a bat as Rizwan with skidders and wrong ’uns.
12:24 PM BST
OVER 36: PAK 172/7 (Nawaz 2 Hasan 1)
The PA blasts ‘Boom! Boom!’ and the crowd answers ‘Bumrah!’ He seems determined to make this World Cup his own and is bowling beautifully. Hasan somehow keeps out one that angles in, squares him up and sears away. Who’d be a tailender against this in that cauldron. Hasan Ali gets off the mark with a clip off his toes for a single.
12:19 PM BST
Wicket!
Shadab b Bumrah 2 Played down Piccadilly and the ball came down Bakerloo. Might have just held its line. Scratch that bit about a miracle with the bat. Pakistan’s only hope is a miracle with the ball and some Hasan-Shaheen-Haris magic. FOW 171/7
12:19 PM BST
OVER 35: PAK 170/6 (Shadab 1 Nawaz 0)
Pakistan’s horizons have narrowed. Now they have to rely on their bowlers to bat out the overs and they try to play themselves in off Kuldeep with a single each through square leg.
Bumrah, though, has five overs left.
12:16 PM BST
OVER 34: PAK 168/6 (Shadab 1 Nawaz 0)
Pakistan are not so much under the pump but trapped in an ever-tightening vice. Terrific captaincy from Rohit and superb bowling from Siraj, Kuldeep and Bumrah.
12:12 PM BST
Wicket!
Rizwan b Bumrah 49 Snakes a 72 mph off-cutter (13 mph slower than the previous ball) through the drive and past the inside edge to knock back off stump. That’s a collapse of 13 for four and the match is all but gone, barring a miracle with either bat or ball. FOW 168/6
12:10 PM BST
OVER 33: PAK 166/5 (Rizwan 48 Shadab 0)
Excellent from Kuldeep and Rohit punches the air because his hunch was right and decision justified. Iftikhar gets off the mark by panning a drag-down on the pull through midwicket but is out two balls later, undone by the spinner who now has 8-0-31-2 after taking five wickets against them in their Asia Cup match last month.
It’s all on Rizwan now which is why Rohit throws the ball to Bumrah.
12:06 PM BST
Wicket!
Iftikhar b Kuldeep 4 Plays on while sweeping the left-armer’s googly, the ball kissing the glove as he was bowled round his legs. There be drag-ons. FOW 166/5
12:03 PM BST
Wicket!
Shakeel lbw b Kuldeep 6 It turned enough, arcing on to leg stump it skidded on to pin him in front of middle and leg. FOW 162/4
12:02 PM BST
IND review
Shakeel lbw b Kuldeep Again, KL wasn’t certain but was overruled.
12:00 PM BST
OVER 32: PAK 162/3 (Rizwan 48 Shakeel 6)
India stick with Siraj after the break and his aggression and skill have been key to breaking vital opening and third-wicket partnerships, scrambling the seam, getting the ball to behave unpredictably as it hit the leather rather than the string. The left-handed Shakeel chops a cut fine for two and then goes fishing outside off as Siraj goes shorter but tighter. He gets off strike against his worse instincts with a push to the cover sweeper. He wanted two but Rizwean wisely sent him back as he would never have beaten Iyer’s bullet throw.
11:52 AM BST
OVER 31: PAK 157/3 (Rizwan 47 Shakeel 1)
Just the single off Kuldeep’s seventh over and India head to drinks, thoroughly buoyed by bagging Babar.
11:51 AM BST
OVER 30: PAK 156/3 (Rizwan 47 Shakeel 1)
Just as the commentators and social media were piling into Rohit for his decision to bring back Siraj instead of Bumrah, Siraj strikes. He has that knack and has been the go-to man in Bumrah’s absence. Great comeback after the first ball of the over was whisked by Rizwan fof four.
Saud Shakeel takes an ants-in-pants scarily tight single into the offside. Siraj pushed off his right foot in his followthrough to sprint the couple of yards to gather, pirouette and shy at the stumps. It missed by a whisker but would have run him out by half a yard had it hit.
11:45 AM BST
Wicket!
Babar b Siraj 50 Jaffa. Babar tried to late cut off the stumps or from juts outside off but the ball nipped back and clipped the outside of off sufficiently to knock off the off bail. FOW 155/3
GONE!
Mohammed Siraj clean bowls Babar Azam 💫
🎙️ "That's tremendous bowling." pic.twitter.com/pmwC3XWNMn— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) October 14, 2023
11:45 AM BST
OVER 29: PAK 150/2 (Babar 50 Rizwan 43)
India had successfully dried up the boundaries but the two in the previous over have put Pakistan back in the groove and Babar hammers Kuldeep’s low full toss through cover point for four.
11:41 AM BST
OVER 28: PAK 144/2 (Babar 42 Rizwan 45)
Babar flicks Siraj through midwicket for four, uppishly and close to the diving Pandya but not close enough to catch. Babar then whisks two more and would have got four but for an excellent dive, gather and throw on the rope from Iyer. Babar glides a dab down to third man for a single and Rizwan ends a productive over with a creamy, dreamy straight drive. Thirteen off the over, breaking the shackles of the spinners.
11:36 AM BST
OVER 27: PAK 131/2 (Babar 37 Rizwan 37)
Only two singles off Kuldeep, Rizwan’s down to long off, driven, and Babar works the ball with the turn through square leg.
Rohit decides to bring Siraj back to break up the diet of spin. I might be misreading this but I would have tried to sneak a couple more from the spinners through at four an over which would give these two plenty to do and having to take risks later on against the pacers.
11:32 AM BST
OVER 26: PAK 129/2 (Babar 36 Rizwan 36)
Rizwan top edges a sweep for two over short fine leg and mirrors his captain at the start of the over by driving a single down to long-on.
I would hazard that they need 300 and, hence, cannot let the spinners go at four an over.
11:28 AM BST
OVER 25: PAK 125/2 (Babar 35 Rizwan 33)
By contrast with Rizwan, Babar isn’t a sweeper and Waqar, in the commentary box, is tearing his hair out over him using that stroke when he is so good upright and using his feet and wrists. The shout didn’t go India’s way in terms of wickets but the rate is ticking down by the over.
11:26 AM BST
NOT OUT
Umpire’s call on hitting leg stump. India retain their review. The crowd boos but India had a couple of umpire’s calls go their way against Afghanistan.
11:23 AM BST
IND review
Babar lbw b Kuldeep KL Rahul shook his head but Kuldeep persuaded his captain to go upstairs. Pinned on the sweep again.
11:22 AM BST
OVER 24: PAK 123/2 (Babar 34 Rizwan 32)
They are batting well, but Pakistan have not run away. I think some India fans are panicking a bit too early and India’s spinners are rattling through the overs at such a rate that there soon enough four or five an over off them will leave them well short of an ideal platform with 15 to go.
Rizwan pats the third single off Jadeja’s sixth over down to long-on to bring up the fifty partnership.
11:19 AM BST
OVER 23: PAK 120/2 (Babar 33 Rizwan 30)
Lovely from Rizwan to drop to one knee and scoop Kuldeep’s dart over the keeper for four. Apparently he spent much of his net session last night practising his 180 degree range of sweeps, laps, paddles, reverses, ramps and scoops. He looks in terrific nick.
11:17 AM BST
OVER 22: PAK 114/2 (Babar 32 Rizwan 25)
Pakistan hit the gas, chopping four off the bottom edge, sending it scuttling through KL’s legs, Speaking of legs, Rizwan uses his to stride towards Jadeja and mow him through midwicket for four.
All over social media India fans are rubbishing Rohit’s decision to put Pakistan in, fearing these are the best batting conditions.
11:13 AM BST
OVER 21: PAK 105/2 (Babar 31 Rizwan 17)
Thakur is whipped out of the attack after a two-over spell, rather backing up DK’s dressing-room insight. Kuldeep replace him and he ties then down to a single each. Babar shows his class – and remember he is not allowed to play in the IPL – by picking Kuldeep’s googly and calmly patting it away for a single.
11:08 AM BST
OVER 20: PAK 103/2 (Babar 30 Rizwan 16)
A Sachin love-in with the great man, Waqar Younis and Ravi Shastri takes prominence over the action as Jadeja rattles off five dot balls to Babar after Rizwan drilled an off drive to the man on the boundary.
11:06 AM BST
OVER 19: PAK 102/2 (Babar 30 Rizwan 15)
Sachin Tendulkar is in the commentary box to describe Babar’s glorious cover drive off Thakur, how he freed his hands an pints out that the flexibility and strength of the bottom hand is equally important as the top hand, which was always supposed to be dominant in the classical method. Pakistan reach three figures in good health. Long way to go, though.
11:03 AM BST
OVER 18: PAK 96/2 (Babar 25 Rizwan 14)
Jadeja struck by Glenn Hoddle syndrome there when Rizwan carves a slightly shorter one away for four. Kuldeep ran around and dived but he couldn’t get there and Jadeja looked thoroughly exasperated that someone was not as good as him.
11:01 AM BST
OVER 17: PAK 90/2 (Babar 24 Rizwan 9)
Shardul Thakur comes on and again goes full, looking for swing that isn’t there (see below). The first delivery is too full and Babar thumps it through mid-on for four. The next two are also full and they work a single apiece off their toes. Dinesh Karthik, who would know, says Rohit does not entirely trust Thakur and seems to use him reluctantly. Coach’s pick? When he does rein his length back, though, he looks effective and gets out of the over with three dot balls, the last of which, a bump ball taken at point is wildly celebrated by the crowd until the penny (anna? paise?) drops.
Average Seam Movement in the First Five Overs in this World Cup
Lucknow - 0.71°
Dharamsala - 0.65°
Delhi - 0.64°
Hyderabad - 0.63°
Chennai - 0.52°
Ahmedabad - 0.39°
Tournament Average - 0.59°
Pakistan batters hitting through the line with ease on this pitch. #INDvPAK #CWC23— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 14, 2023
10:55 AM BST
OVER 16: PAK 79/2 (Babar 19 Rizwan 8)
Babar works a tight single around his front pad to short fine leg and beats the throw to the non-striker’s. Rizwan drives off the front foot through mid-off for one and off the back foot through mid-on for another. Babar squirts one off the inside edge into the legside and pinches the strike off a fuller flatter one with a stab through cover.
10:52 AM BST
OVER 15: PAK 79/2 (Babar 16 Rizwan 6)
Hardik Pandya resumes after the break and bowls largely cutters at Rizwan, earning him five dot balls until Rizwan flicks a fuller one off middle through square leg for four. Elegance personified.
10:45 AM BST
OVER 14: PAK 75/2 (Babar 16 Rizwan 2)
Fine bowling change by Rohit to replace Kuldeep, whose stock ball turns in to the right-handers, with Jadeja who turns it away. And he does rip the first past Rizwan’s edge as he tried to punch it off the back foot, then has the leg-before appeal. He thinks Rizwan is a goner and given the umpire’s finger went up, it had to be only clipping. But wasn’t. He can’t eblieve that. Time for drinks.
10:42 AM BST
NOT OUT
No. It turned back but didn’t straighten enough and would have missed leg.
10:41 AM BST
PAK review
Rizwan lbw b Jadeja On the sweep. Did it turn back in enough?
10:40 AM BST
OVER 13: PAK 74/2 (Babar 16 Rizwan 1)
It may have cost him a quid but it brought 10 in return. Pandya concedes a boundary to lay the trap then bags his man next ball by angling one across the left-hander. Rizwan enters but takes so long adjusting his gloves and taking guard that Kohli mimes looking at a watch, staring at his left sweatband, to pump up the crowd. Rohit has a word with the umpire.
Rizwan is ready at last and gets off the mark off his third ball, spearing a drive off the slower ball down to the cover sweeper.
10:35 AM BST
Wicket!
Imam c Rahul b Pandya 36 The previous ball was short and wide and he scythed it for four so Pandya, perhaps discerning that Imam’s blood would still be pumping stays wide but goes fuller and the left-hander nicks off, trying the everything but the kitchen sink approach to the drive. FOW 73/2
10:33 AM BST
OVER 12: PAK 68/1 (Imam 32 Babar 15)
First dose of spin. Kuldeep has a slip in but sprays his first ball on to Imam’s pads and he nurdles it into the legside for a single. Babar drills a single down to long off and Imam shuffles across to skelp another through square leg for two. Kuldeep, aleft-arm wrist-spinner, bowling from over the wicket angles another into the left-hander’s pads and he feathers a leg glance as fine as you could imagine for four. ‘One stump too straight,’ says Nasser Hussain.
10:29 AM BST
OVER 11: PAK 60/1 (Imam 25 Babar 14)
India’s analysts have clearly identified Babar as vulnerable on the hook and bounce him again. There might be something in it as he does take a single with a pull but not convincingly, the ball coming off the edge. Imam, who was bounced out in his previous two World Cup games, is given full ones which he pushes through mid-on for a single. Pandya, whose pace is 5mph down on his spells at Delhi, tries two more short ones at Babar and he pulls the first in front of square for four and the second behind square for a second.
10:23 AM BST
OVER 10: PAK 49/1 (Imam 23 Babar 5)
Siraj continues for the last over of the first Powerplay and his radar is recalibrated towards accuracy, conceding only a single to Imam’s on-drive. Babar’s eyes lit up when bounced but he couldn’t time his pull.
10:21 AM BST
OVER 9: PAK 48/1 (Imam 22 Babar 5)
Bumrah is sent for a breather and Hardik brought on. Sunil Gavaskar thinks this is a mistake, Bumrah, in his view, by far the best seamer in the tournament. He prizes Babar’s wicket so highly he thinks Bumrah should have had at least one more. Imam chops one down to third man, Babar does the same, but right-handed, and then whips four off his pads when Pandya servers one up on his legs. The previous ball was a bouncer and Babar evaded it but with his wrists c0cked and bat upright and the bottom edge very close to the ball as it zipped through to the keeper.
Talk about being cursed. It has emerged that Kane Williamson, hit on the thumb by a fielder’s run-out attempt when batting last night, has broken it. It was the left hand, holding the bat as he made his ground at the non-striker’s. That was his first match of the tournament after six months out of the game with a ruptured ACL suffered in March.
10:13 AM BST
OVER 8: PAK 41/1 (Imam 18 Babar 0)
After the meeting, Rohit persists with Siraj who, again, tries various lines and lengths. Shafique stirs a single off his pads through midwicket and pulls another. Imam late cuts for a pair of singles down to third man. But Siraj rewards his captain’s faith with his final ball, making the breakthrough with one that shot through perhaps three inches lower than you would have expected. Came back in to hot middle, too.
10:10 AM BST
Wicket!
Abdullah Shafique lbw b Siraj 20 Plumb. Cross-seam and kept vey low, hitting him under the knee roll from back of a length as he tried to work it to leg. FOW 41/1
SIRAJ WITH THE BREAKTHROUGH FOR INDIA
MASSIVE wicket, Abdullah Shafique goes for 20 ❌ pic.twitter.com/9sf6tB1TAZ— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) October 14, 2023
10:05 AM BST
OVER 7: PAK 37/0 (Shafique 18 Imam 18)
Shafique silences the crowd again when he plays a lofted drive off Bumrah, elbow high and pose held, for four. Scrambled seam and he picked it. He then plays tip and run off the slower ball. Imam wears another one in the goolies, protected by something better than the Litesome of my youth, ‘a soap dish’ as Bumble called them. He was trying to pull but Bumrah nibbled it back in from round the wicket. Kept a bit low too. The last ball is fuller and Imam leans into it and whisks it round the corner for four more.
Rohit calls Virat over for a chat and one of the 12th men also comes on, conveying a message from Rahul Dravid presumably. He points to an area of the field and they nod in recognition.
10:00 AM BST
OVER 6: PAK 28/0 (Shafique 13 Imam 14)
Still struggling for consistent precision, Siraj sprays one on to Shafique’s pads and he flicks it down to fine leg for two. The right-hander then runs a leg-bye when Siraj hits him on the knee roll with one that is heading down.
Siraj stays over the wicket to Imam but left-hander or right-hander, it doesn’t matter. He keeps giving them one to tuck off their pads and Imam obliges for a single. Shafique takes another to backward square off an inside edge and Rohit walks to the end of Siraj’s mark and has a word. The final ball is on middle and off rather than middle and leg and Imam blocks it.
09:54 AM BST
OVER 5: PAK 23/0 (Shafique 10 Imam 13)
After two dot balls, Bumrah comes round the wicket to Imam, cramping him with bounce and angle in to the body. Much better line and it earns him a maiden.
09:51 AM BST
OVER 4: PAK 23/0 (Shafique 10 Imam 13)
Hardik may have more work than usual to do if Siraj keeps leaking like this, overpitching to Shafique who creams it through the covers for four. That’s enough of the full stuff. He pulls his length back and earns two dot balls before Shafique pushes an off drive past the bowler for a single.
Imam takes a single off a thick inside edge to square leg when the ball keeps low. Worrying to get a bit of a shooter this early. Shafique shapes to take a single to point but turns tail when he sees it’s Jadeja, wisely as the all-rounder demolished the stumps with his throw despite having a sight of only one of them, knocking it out of the ground. World’s best fielder? Jonty Rhodes says so and if anyone should know ...
09:45 AM BST
OVER 3: PAK 17/0 (Shafique 4 Imam 12)
Abdullah Shafique opens the face to try to dab the ball down to third man but is so late on it he diverts it to slip, 3ft short of Virat’s grasp. He connects in the way he intended next time though and runs one down through gully off the outside half of the bat.
No swing at all so Bumrah brings his length back and jags one in to Imam’s box from over the wicket. Imam, as is his manner, plays conscientiously, peering through his specs, nose over the ball in defence.
09:40 AM BST
OVER 2: PAK 16/0 (Shafique 4 Imam 12)
Imam also gets off the mark with a boundary but off his first ball as Siraj strays on to the left-hander’s pads and he tickles it for four. Siraj adjusts his line but not his length, going full, straining for swing but there isn’t any and Imam drills an off-drive for four more.
Rohit has a face like thunder when Siraj serves another on Imam’s pads and he skelps a third four off the over. The host broadcaster has crammed four commenattors into the box: Ravi Shastri, Ramiz Raja, Matt Hayden and Nasser Hussain. It’s like Howrah Station in there.
Siraj has better fortune off the last two, angling it across the left-hander, keeping it out of the slot, forcing defensive strokes.
09:35 AM BST
OVER 1: PAK 4/0 (Shafique 4 Imam 0)
Jasprit Bumrah takes the first new ball and starts at 86mph, full, no real shape in. Abdullah drives the first three cautiously back to the bowler. No width yet. The right-armer angles one in to Shafique who clips it off his toes but square leg is there to stop the single. He hasn’t banged one in yet to test the elasticity of the pitch. The outfield is rapid, though, as silence greets Shafique’s first scoring shot, the sweetest midwicket flick for four.
09:31 AM BST
Out come the openers
Can’t see a single Pakistan flag in the crowd:
09:26 AM BST
Despite the jeering of Babar at the toss ...
The Pakistan national anthem is respectfully observed. India’s is sung by all.
09:24 AM BST
Out come the teams for the national anthems
Each player walks hand in hand with a child. Sachin Tendulkar is on the field to greet them.
Traffic jams have left scores of seats unfilled but Ravi Shastri assures us that all 130,000 will be filled within the hour.
09:16 AM BST
There are three types of pitches at Narendra Modi
Red soil is firmer and aids turn and bounce, black soil is slow and low, a belter for batsmen if they can get their timing right and a hybrid of the two which is neither Arthur nor Martha.
Today’s pitch is … black soil.
09:13 AM BST
Team news
So, no Ashwin for India, Shardul Thakur retains his place:
India Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur,Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Pakistan Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf.
Umpires Marais Erasmus (SA) and Richard Illingworth (ENG). DRS Richard Kettleborough (ENG). Referee Andy Pycroft (ZIM).
09:07 AM BST
Babar is booed by (some of) the crowd
How rude.
He says he would have bowled first and announces an unchanged team.
We were looking to field as well. We have had good two wins. Momentum is very high and we want to continue that. It’s a jampacked stadium, we are enjoying our opportunity, and just want to enjoy it. Improvements? We have to be good in the field. We have had two good practice sessions.
09:06 AM BST
Shubman Gill returns for India
And will open the batting after recovering from dengue fever that made him such a doubt for the tournament.
09:05 AM BST
Rohit on his decision
It doesn’t get bigger than this. No particular reason [for bowling first], it’s a good pitch, won’t crack or change much but keeping dew in mind later we thought it better to chase.
09:03 AM BST
India have won the toss
And put Pakistan in to bat.
09:03 AM BST
Toss?
India twice beat West Indies in this new ground batting first but New Zealand’s victory over England last week suggests putting the opposition in gives you the best bowling conditions for your spinners.
08:59 AM BST
It's a full house in Ahmedabad
A sea of Indian flags, white, orange and green everywhere. And blue replica shirts, The biggest crowd ever to watch a cricket match is anticipated, 130,000 comfortably eclipsing Eden Gardens’ 100,000 in 1998-99 for a day of a Test match between these two.
10:03 AM BST
Preview: Pakistan's grim WC record in this fixture
Good morning and welcome to live coverage of India vs Pakistan, every World Cup’s marquee group game, which this time takes place in the Ahmedabad bear pit, stronghold of Narendra Modi and the BJP. India have won all seven previous meetings in the tournament by sizeable margins, even in 1992 and 1999 when Pakistan were winners and runners-up respectively. There was a moment in 2003 when they got Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly out cheaply during India’s chase when it seemed possible that they would win but Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh took India home comfortably, giving Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar ‘a tournament too far’ Younis some fearful tap in the process.
The two teams come into this match in rude health, two of four unbeaten sides after two games. India survived a scare when they lost their top three cheaply against Australia to grind out an impressive victory, having rolled them over with their spinners, then bulldozed Afghanistan with the hall of fame quality of Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Pakistan beat Netherlands and Sri Lanka by virtue of significant contributions with the bat from Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel and Abdullah Shafique and the irrepressible Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali with the ball.
Given that Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips, none of them in the class of India’s spinners, shared five wickets against England in the previous match at Ahmedabad, Ravichandran Ashwin must have a chance of returning to join Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav in India’s XI. Interestingly, though, none of India’s stellar top six have ever made a century in Ahmedabad and Pakistan’s pacers will fancy their chances if they can get the ball to deck around as Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc managed to do early on against the hosts in Chennai.
Of course this is more than a game for both sides and their billion plus supporters but we should always emphasise that the players like and respect each other as do most Indians and Pakistanis on a personal basis, unpolluted by nationalist politics and religion.
On the field in the past and on neutral territory, India have always found a way to win even when evenly matched. Most importantly, they had the weight of the nation on their shoulders in the 2011 semi at Mohali and triumphed. Defeat here would not derail their hopes but it would puncture the mood. Form and history suggests they have enough class and grit to prevail here.
