New Delhi: India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl against arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening T20 World Cup match Sunday.
Both Pakistan and India have fielded three seamers and two spinners in their respective playing XIs.
India has preferred Dinesh Karthik ahead of Rishabh Pant in the wicketkeeper’s role.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel are the two spinners, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh are the three seamers.
Team India squad
Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh.
Team Pakistan squad
Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shan Masood, Haider Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah. (Input from PTI)
Catch all the live action from IND vs PAK match here:
5:32 pm: Terrible captaincy could have lost Pakistan the game
Captaincy is always a question of defeat. So what was the Pakistani skipper thinking that he held back Nawaz for the 20th? Did he forget to keep count, or he presumed the match will end earlier? This was terrible captaincy and probably lost Pakistan the game.
5:29 pm: Played with brains, not muscles!
Those two Kohli sixes in the 19th over must rank among his two greatest shots of all time. Played with the brains, not muscles, and cleared the long, long Melbourne boundary.
5:26 pm: India win by 4 wickets
T20 WC 2022. India Won by 4 Wicket(s) https://t.co/mc9usehEuY #INDvPAK #T20WorldCup
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2022
5:19 pm: Hardik Pandya is gone as India need 6 runs to win from 3 balls
T20 WC 2022. WICKET! 19.1: Hardik Pandya 40(37) ct Babar Azam b Mohammad Nawaz, India 144/5 https://t.co/mc9usehEuY #INDvPAK #T20WorldCup
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2022
5 pm: A fine century from Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya
FIFTY for Virat Kohli! 🙌 🙌
His 3⃣4⃣th T20I half-century. 👍 👍
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/mc9usehEuY #TeamIndia | #T20WorldCup | #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/t4FvomGV59
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2022
4:41 pm: Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya’s half-century ties
5⃣0⃣-run stand! 👏 👏
A solid half-century partnership between @imVkohli & @hardikpandya7! 👌 👌#TeamIndia 83/4 after 13 overs.
Follow the match▶️ https://t.co/mc9usehEuY #T20WorldCup | #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/4I04FbSPnt
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2022
4:30 pm: 115 in 10 with 4 wickets down is always a challenge
An Indian recovery from here will be a story for the books. 115 in 10 with 4 wickets down is always a challenge. Especially on a big ground where 6s are risky. Yet, in a T-20 2-3 batters can swing it.
4:12 pm: Three of the four wickets yet no credit to the bowlers
Is India rediscovering their familiar old panic and meltdown? Three of the four wickets yet no credit to the bowlers.
4:10 pm: A genuine pacer’s wicket
That Suryakumar Yadav was a genuine pacer’s wicket.
4:11 pm: Wicket number 3 and 4! Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel are out
T20 WC 2022. WICKET! 6.1: Axar Patel 2(3) Run Out Babar Azam, India 31/4 https://t.co/mc9useyHwY #INDvPAK #T20WorldCup
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2022
T20 WC 2022. WICKET! 5.3: Suryakumar Yadav 15(10) ct Mohammad Rizwan b Haris Rauf, India 26/3 https://t.co/mc9useyHwY #INDvPAK #T20WorldCup
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2022
4 pm: A reply to the Pakistani innings
Openers back in the first two overs and the innings look like a replay of the Pakistani innings in the beginning. India will be tested in the first 6. No different from what Pakistan faced. It’s turning out to be a match of middle orders.
3:46 pm: Wicket! Naseem Shah bowling to KL Rahul
T20 WC 2022. WICKET! 1.5: K L Rahul 4(8) b Naseem Shah, India 7/1 https://t.co/mc9usehEuY #INDvPAK #T20WorldCup
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2022
3:30 pm: Brave tailend action by Pakistan sets this match up on par basis
Some brave tailend action by Pakistan sets this match up on a par basis. Pakistan attack is speed-heavy on the top so watch yay that first power play. This is set for a classic.
3:01 pm: Hardik Pandya in weak link in Indian attack
Hardik Pandya was seen to be the weak link in Indian attack. He’s delivered today with 3 wickets and a reasonable economy rate. Pakistan is not out of it yet. 150 looks like the par score here in a high-pressure game.
2:43 pm: Pakistan makes a fine recovery led by fearless Iftikhar
Make no mistake, Pakistan made a fine recovery led by fearless Iftikhar. But with Shadab’s quick departure pendulum swings again.
2.29 pm: Time to convert 1s into 2s and 2s into 3s
That stage in the game when Sunil Gavaskar unleashed his ‘chapati’ ball: time to convert 1s into 2s and 2s into 3s.
2:19 pm: A bad misjudgement
That was a bad misjudgement from Ravichandran Ashwin. Started for the catch too late. How expensive will that reprieve for Shan Masood be?
1.55 pm: Arshdeep and Bhuvi have Pakistan’s top order
No doubt about it. Arshdeep and Bhuvi have Pakistan’s top order in some panic for now. Both show the value of disciplined, workman-like fast bowling. Even if the cricket commentariat won’t build mythologies around you
1:45 pm: Arshdeep Singh brilliant first delivery!
Brilliant first delivery from relative international rookie Arshdeep Singh. Classical left-arm pacer’s dismissal of the world’s best batter today. No celebration by commentators like it might have been if an Afridi had got rid of a Rohit or a Kohli like this.