Ahmedabad: In the live coverage of the World Cup 2023 match between India and Pakistan, an exciting turn of events unfolded. India made a stunning comeback during the middle overs, primarily attributable to the remarkable performance of Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, who orchestrated a middle-order collapse for Pakistan.
Initially, Pakistan appeared to be in a strong position at 155/2, with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan forming a partnership that posed a significant threat to India. However, the tables turned when Mohammed Siraj and Hardik Pandya struck timely blows, dismissing the Pakistani openers. Siraj’s delivery led to the dismissal of the Pakistan captain, breaking the 82-run partnership and shifting the momentum in India’s favour.
Kuldeep Yadav then claimed the wicket of Saud Shakeel, who was given out LBW, followed by a skilful dismissal of Iftikhar Ahmed, who lost his stumps. The pivotal moment came when Jasprit Bumrah bowled an exceptional delivery to dismiss Rizwan, and shortly after, he removed Shadab Khan in the subsequent over. This flurry of wickets left Pakistan in a precarious position, struggling to surpass 200 runs.
Prior to the middle-order resurgence, India’s decision to bowl after winning the toss seemed justified. Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, made a significant tactical move by bringing back Shubman Gill in place of Ishan Kishan. During Pakistan’s batting, Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq had found success in scoring boundaries. Nevertheless, Mohammed Siraj, who initially conceded runs, made amends by dismissing the dangerous Abdullah Shafique in the eighth over.
Imam had displayed a solid performance, amassing 36 runs off 28 balls before falling victim to a delivery from Hardik Pandya, who celebrated the wicket with a spirited send-off. The match continued with an intense battle between the two cricketing giants, making it a thrilling contest for fans worldwide.