India routed their bitter rivals Pakistan by 61 runs today to qualify for the next round of the T20 World Cup in a showdown that had been in doubt until a few days ago.
Suryakumar Yadav’s side scored 175-7 after being given a flying start by Ishan Kishan’s brilliant 77 and then bowled out Pakistan for 114 in 18 overs.
The defeat for Pakistan continued their woeful record against India in World Cups.
India have won eight of nine T20 World Cup meetings and all eight of their ODI World Cup encounters.
Pakistan got off to the worst possible start in their chase of 176 to win, Sahibzada Farhan top-edging a slog across the line to mid-on for a duck in Hardik Pandya’s first over.
It became 6-2 when Jasprit Bumrah’s second ball trapped Saim Ayub (6) plumb in front.
Captain Salman Agha (4) was next to go, with another mistimed slog off Bumrah’s sixth ball leaving his team in dire straits at 13-3.
When spinner Axar Patel bowled Babar Azam for five, Pakistan were in tatters at 34-4 in the fifth over.
Usman Khan offered some resistance, scoring 44 from 34 balls with a six and six fours in an attempt to repair the innings.
But after he charged down the pitch to Axar and Kishan stumped him by a mile, it sparked a mini-collapse of three wickets for five runs and at 78-7 the game was done and dusted.
Earlier, India captain Suryakumar and his Pakistan opposite number Agha did not shake hands at the coin toss, which Agha won and elected to bowl.
Suryakumar also did not shake hands with Agha in any of their three matches at the Asia Cup in Dubai last year, including the final.
The off-on Group A match was only confirmed to go ahead six days ago when the Pakistan Government made a U-turn on a threat to boycott the encounter.
India opening batsman Abhishek Sharma returned after a stomach bug but only lasted four balls before falling without scoring.
Kishan was unperturbed by the loss of his partner and set about an assault on the Pakistan bowlers, bringing up his 50 off 27 balls with two sixes and seven fours.
He was middling the ball all round the park, so it was a major surprise when he missed a straighter delivery from spinner Ayub and was bowled.
Kishan had dominated the strike so much that when he departed it was with 77 runs out of India’s 88-2 after 8.4 overs to his name. He smacked three sixes and 10 fours in all.
Kishan’s departure enabled Pakistan to put the brakes on India’s batsmen and, at the second drinks break after 14 overs, they had advanced the score only to 125-2.
Tilak Varma, on 25, became Ayub’s second victim, trapped in front and India were 126-3.
Hardik then slogged the next ball and was caught in the deep to put Ayub on a hat-trick.
Shivam Dube was beaten all ends up by the hat-trick ball, but it bounced over the top of middle stump as it turned past the left-hander’s outside edge and he somehow survived.
Ayub finished with 3-25 from his four overs.
Suryakumar, who was watching the carnage at the non-striker’s end, made 32 off 29 balls. Dube was run out in the final over for 27.
The cricket teams of the nuclear-armed neighbours only meet in multi-nation tournaments at neutral venues as part of a compromise deal.
It has been more than 18 years since India and Pakistan last met in a Test match, and 13 years since either side crossed the border to play a bilateral series.