Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav expressed his happiness after his side routed arch-rivals Pakistan by 61 runs on Sunday to qualify for the next round of the T20 World Cup in a clash that had been uncertain until a few days back.
Suryakumar’s team posted 175 for seven after being given a flying start by Ishan Kishan (77) before bowling out Pakistan for 114 in 18 overs.
The loss for Pakistan maintained their appalling World Cup record against India.
India have triumphed in eight of nine T20 World Cup contests and all eight ODI World Cup clashes.
“I think this one is for India,” Suryakumar said as his team joined the West Indies in the Super Eights.
“Large first (was the) way to go on this wicket.
Pakistan had the worst possible start to their chase of 176, when Sahibzada Farhan top-edged a slog across the line to mid-on for a duck in Hardik Pandya’s first over.
It was 6-2 when Jasprit Bumrah cleaned up Saim Ayub (6) with the second ball of his spell, which angled in and held its line to rattle his stumps.
Next to go was Captain Salman Agha (4) and with it another mistimed slog, off the sixth ball of Bumrah’s opening over, had his team reeling at 13-3.
They were 34-4 when spinner Axar Patel pinned Babar Azam lbw for five.
Usman Khan provided some resistance, crashing 44 from 34 balls, with six and six fours.
But when he charged down the pitch to Axar and Kishan stumped him by a mile, it triggered a mini-collapse to 78-7 and the game was done and dusted.
Before that, India captain Suryakumar and his Pakistan counterpart Agha did not shake hands at the coin toss, which was won by Agha who elected to bowl.
The two captains did likewise in their three encounters at the Asia Cup in Dubai last year, also featuring a final.
The off-on Group A contest was only cleared to proceed six days ago after the Pakistan government did a U-turn on threatened boycott of the meeting.
India opener Abhishek Sharma returned after a bout of stomach bug but he lasted just four balls before being dismissed for naught.
Unnerved by the loss of his partner, Kishan launched an attack on the Pakistan bowlers as he completed his half-century off just 27 balls.
He’d been punching the ball all around but he missed a straight one from spinner Ayub and was bowled.
“Ishan went out of the box,” Suryakumar said. “With the fact after we were 0-1 down, somebody to come and take responsibly like he did was fantastic.”
Kishan struck the ball so well that, when he fell, he had made 77 of India’s 88-2 off 8.4 overs. He struck 3 sixes and 10 fours.
“I was playing simple and watching the ball, playing with the field, maybe try to make them run as much as they can,” Kishan said.
“But yeah, I think it was pretty successful.”
Kishan’s dismissal allowed Pakistan to apply the brakes on India’s batsmen and after 14 overs, they had managed to push the score only up to 125-2.
Tilak Varma, 25, was Ayub’s second victim, leg-before and India were 126-3 and he had Hardik caught in the deep off the very next delivery.
Shivam Dube was beaten all ends up by the hat trick ball, but it bounced over the top of middle stump and he lived to fight another day.
Suryakumar contributed 32 off 29 balls. Dube was run out on the last ball for 27.
The nuclear-armed neighbours only face each other in multi-nation events at neutral venues and a thaw is not expected soon under their compromise deal.
It’s been over 18 years since India and Pakistan played their last Test match, 13 years ago that one toured the other for a bilateral series.