History at the R Premadasa Stadium has consistently favoured teams batting first in T20 World Cup matches and that trend continued in the high-voltage India-Pakistan clash on February 15. Despite the precedent, Pakistan chose to bowl first in a bid to gain a psychological edge, a call that ultimately backfired as the pitch grew increasingly helpful for bowlers later in the game.
At the toss, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav revealed they would have batted first anyway and welcomed the opportunity. Ishan Kishan then capitalised in style, blasting 77 off 40 balls to lay a strong platform. Although the middle order found scoring tough, India still posted a competitive 175, with Saim Ayub standing out with three wickets.
Pakistan’s chase unravelled early as they lost four wickets inside the powerplay, effectively handing India control. Usman Khan fought back with 44 off 34 deliveries, but received little support, with seven batters failing to reach double digits. Pakistan’s initial gamble proved costly, ending in a heavy 63-run defeat.
Spinners had a off day: Salman Agha
After the game, Pakistan captain Salman Agha blamed the spin attack, which, interestingly, claimed five wickets in the middle. He noted that the execution was poor but yet he is ready to back them for the remainder of the tournament.
“We were believing in our spinners and they had an off day today. Execution was missing in some parts of the game. We were obviously going to always believe our spinners, because they’ve done really well in last six month. And with the batting I think we didn’t start well and in T20 games if we lose 3 or 4 wickets in powerplay, you are always chasing the game,” Agha said in the post-match presentation.
“We have a game in two days’ time. We need to win that game and qualify for the Super Four and then it’s a new tournament start again,” he added.
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