Kamal Ghorui
India registered the highest ever total in an India Pakistan contest in T20 World Cup history, posting 175 for seven in 20 overs on a challenging surface at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday.The foundation was laid by opener Ishan Kishan, whose blistering 77 off 40 balls helped India overcome the sluggish nature of the pitch. After Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and opted to bowl, he made an immediate impact by dismissing Abhishek Sharma in the very first over with his off spin. Abhishek attempted a lofted stroke but failed to clear Shaheen Shah Afridi at the edge of the circle.From that point, Kishan took control. He stitched together an 87 run stand with Tilak Varma, although Tilak’s share was modest. Kishan dominated the Pakistan attack, striking Afridi for a fierce pull and then taking on the spinners with authority. He dispatched Agha and Saim Ayub for boundaries and punished Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan as he raced to a 27 ball half century.Just when India looked set for an even bigger score, Ayub triggered a turnaround by removing Kishan and then striking twice in succession to dismiss Tilak and Hardik Pandya. India slipped from 126 for two to 126 for four.Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube steadied the innings with a useful partnership, while Dube countered Usman Tariq and found boundaries late on. A 15 run final over from Shaheen ensured India surged to 175 for seven, a total that set a new benchmark in this storied rivalry.
