T20 World Cup: India continues to rise with clinical win over Pakistan

The Colombo detour proved to be a fruitful endeavour for the Men in Blue. With a clinical triumph against Pakistan, India enhanced its defending champion’s halo in the ICC T20 World Cup.

A Super Eight berth has been sealed, and while sterner battles await, Suryakumar Yadav’s men can be proud about their initial campaign. Any clash against Pakistan, with its historical baggage, diplomatic unease, and emotional swirls, is never easy, even if on pure form this Indian unit will often prevail over the neighbour.

On an otherwise fine Sunday night, refusing to shake hands with their Pakistani rivals, remains the lone aberration for the Indians. On cricketing merits, India kept ticking the boxes. On a pitch overwhelmingly in favour of spin, heroes were found.

Kishan’s special effort

First up, Ishan Kishan essayed a stunning knock. While others often struggled to gauge the pace and turn off the pitch, the southpaw hustled his runs all over. His 77 was a special effort, the kind that would deflate any rival attack. Even if Salman Agha’s men plied their spin on a sluggish turf, Kishan was adept at scrambling their lines with his all-round shots.

His opening act ensured a solid platform for India to surge high. The incremental runs scored by Suryakumar and Shivam Dube were an added bonus. India’s 175 was a tough one to scale at the R. Premadasa Stadium, a venue where chasing is never easy.

Meanwhile, the ducks from Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya need not cause any alarm. In the cyclical nature of form in the fickle T20s, they are bound to find an upswing soon. Hardik, the bowler, though, did his job. Along with Jasprit Bumrah, he ensured that three wickets were prised out and the Indian spinners could step in with less pressure.

Pakistan’s unravelling a sporting tragedy

Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav had the cushion of solid runs to defend, and could further aggravate the early wounds inflicted by the seamers. While India deserves all credit, Pakistan’s unravelling remains a sporting tragedy. From those days in the 1980s and 1990s, when it tested even the then mighty West Indies, the current slide seems terrible.

The latest news about the health issues affecting its greatest star, Imran Khan, languishing in jail, for political reasons, further darkens the air. India, though, is all about aura and consistency, traits that will be again on display at its next stop in Ahmedabad.