India varied spin attack brought it an languid 7-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan in the opening game of the World T20 main draw on Friday, even as a storied competition failed to provide the humdinger that is expected all time the teams size up against each other. Once Amit Mishra, Ravindra Jadeja and R. Ashwin had conspired to restrict Pakistan to 130, on what was dubbed pre-match as a ‘beauty’, the in-form Raina (35*) and Kohli (36*) overhauled the target with marked swiftness, with 9 balls to spare.
This was a main victory considering that India's tough group also includes defending champions West Indies and the in-form Australia, which indicates to things finish up in a scramble for the 2 semi-final slots available.
Openers Dhawan (30) and Rohit Sharma (24) had been tested somewhat by Mohammad Hafeez and left-arm pacer Junaid Khan, but still managed to reach 38 without loss at the end of the Power play. When Saeed Ajmal came on, in the 5th over of the chase, he was beaten on the trot, and had scored five off 15 balls before he decided enough was enough.
Then began a miniature phase that held the faint promise of the match turning into a nail-biter. Including Dhawan’s India lost three wickets for 11 runs in 13 balls. Rohit played on trying to cut Ajmal’s off-spinner. Yuvraj Singh lost his wickets to Bilawal Bhatti’s 1st ball of the match a fast, full delivery that rocked the base of the stumps.
Precisely 66 were needed when Kohli and Raina came together. The pair ended it in a hurry through a 66-run stand in just 50 balls. Kohli was severe off the back foot to the spinners – he lofted Hafeez for a superlative 6 over mid-wicket, while Raina punished Bhatti for a succession of fours when he landed it short. The next single saw India victors by 7 wickets, nine balls to spare, first points in the bag.
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