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A game that many saw as a potential game of the tournament, would end up the complete opposite as Two-time World Champions India was confidently swept aside by Pakistan by seven wickets.

This match-up between the two heavyweights of the Sub Continent was played in India, which since the 2011 World Cup semi-final, is something that doesn’t happen.

In the 12 years since Pakistan and India have been playing each other at neutral venues. Saturday’s game between the two sides at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, saw 130,000 fans pack the stadium.

Due to the political tensions between the two sides arguably this was the reason for there being few Pakistani fans, they were few and far between.
Batting first Babar Azam’s Pakistan got off to a usual circumspect start.

But on the flip side of that, there wasn’t too much of an alarm for Abdullah Shafique and Imam Ul-Haq.

That would change however when Mohammed Siraj was able to beat the defence of Shafiq and dismiss the Sialkot man for 20.

With that dismissal, that meant Pakistan captain Babar Azam entered the cauldron that was the Narendra Modi stadium.

The loss of opener Imam Ul-Haq, for a near run-a-ball 36, the second wicket to fall, signalled at the time Pakistan were in this contest.

With the loss of a wicket relatively early, Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan were able to put on 82 for the third wicket and do a minor rebuild.
The rebuild, which was in its infancy needed some time to lay it’s

foundations, but some brain-dead cricket by Pakistan’s cricketers, which saw them play many poor shots allowed them to be all out for 191.

On a pitch that many were saying was a 300 runs + pitch. appeared to suggest that Rohit Sharma’s men would win this at a canter.

There would be no plot twists in this contest. There have been tales in the past of Shaheen Shah Afridi, charging in, in the opening over and seemingly picking up early wickets at will.

Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli (both 16) did fall cheaply but India’s skipper Rohit Sharma (86) and an unbeaten 53 from Shreyas Iyer and 19 from vice-captain KL Rahul helped get India over the line.

Over the line, the Indian’s got, with some 20 overs to spare. India face Bangladesh on Thursday and Pakistan face Australia on Friday.

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