Pak vs Ind: Babar falls to Siraj as India find breakthrough

Pakistan have lost both their openers but their best batters — Babar and Rizwan — are at the crease. One of them, if not both, has to stick around till the end if Pakistan are to make India work in the second half of this game.

“There’s a sea of blue here at the Narendra Modi Stadium. It doesn’t matter how many times the players say it’s just another match, it is not. The Indian fans here in the country have waited for it desperately, many have flown in from other parts of the world just for this match. They are so passionate for the team that they don’t even slightly cheer the opponent. Each boundary by Pakistan so far has been followed by sheer silence from the nearly 120,000 spectators present here. If Pakistan end up doing well here, it would be a huge achievement for the side. The atmosphere is intimidating. At the same time, it’s electric, a dream of every cricket fan and it is, for the ones in Pakistan and India, all that matters this weekend.”

From Dawn.com’s correspondent Mir Shabbar Ali in Ahmedabad.

Siraj faced a rough return to the attack, being sent to the cleaners in the 28th over with two boundaries, three singles, and a double, allowing Pakistan to collect 13 runs and conclude the over with their score moving to 144.

Kuldeep delivers an excellent 27th over, conceding only two runs and leaving Pakistan at 131 for two wickets. Pakistan continues to find their footing in the opening innings of this high-voltage tie.

Another over of some movement. The two batters are looking to keep wickets in hand for later as they see off Jadeja’s seventh over for four runs. Pakistan are looking to pose a big total.

Kuldeep makes an appeal after hitting Babar’s pads on the third delivery, which the umpire did not agree The decision is reviewed by the Indian side with the ball going on to hit stumps. Umpires call saves the skipper for now with Pakistan’s score at 125.

Jadeja bowls a good over with only three runs coming from it. The 50-run partnership has come up between the two batters. Pakistan ends the 24th over with 123 for the loss of two wickets.

A boundary and two singles ends Kuldeep’s third over to bring Pakistan’s total to 120 for the loss of two wickets. Rizwan paddles the leggie for a boundary on the fourth delivery of the over to keep the score ticking for the green team.

Rizwan sends the ball to the boundaries twice in Jadeja’s fifth over to relieve some pressure. Nine runs come from it to end the 22nd over for Pakistan at 114 for the loss of two wickets.

Kuldeep continues to bowl a tight line as just two come off the over. Pakistan look to stabilise the batting through the middle overs.

Jadeja bowls a very good over with only one off it. Skipper Babar looking nervy against the left-arm spinner as Pakistan reaches 103 for the loss of two wickets.

Babar drives Thakur through the cover region for a beautiful boundary. For the third straight over, a boundary and two singles off it.

Jadeja is cut for a boundary on the fifth delivery of the over, followed by two singles later in the over — the same pattern witnessed in the previous over. Pakistan happy to collect six an over for now.

Shardul Thakur is hit for a boundary on the first delivery of the over, with Babar just standing still and pushing the ball down the ground straight. Two singles also follow later in the over.

Five singles off of Jadeja in the 16th over of the innings. Babar and Rizwan happy to simply rotate the strike for now — especially against the tricky spin of Jadeja.

A very good over from Pandya is marred after Rizwan flicks him in front of square for a boundary on the last delivery.

Jadeja is brought into the attack as India look to take advantage of the spinning track. Rizwan earns a massive reprieve as Jadeja traps him in front of the wickets and is given out, only for a review to overturn the decision. Just a run off Jadeja’s first.

Imam departs on the second delivery of Pandya’s third over after the southpaw went to attack a wide delivery, only to edge it back to the keeper. A simple catch for KL Rahul knocks the second wicket down for Pakistan. Wicketkeeper Rizwan now comes to the crease. A boundary and a single ends the thirteenth over for Pakistan with the score at 74 for the loss of two wickets.

Kuldeep is brought in to end Siraj’s spell. A decent over from the spinner is ruined by a tickle down the fine leg as Pakistan collect 8 runs from it.

Babar pulls Pandya twice to collect 11 runs from Pandya’s second over. Two short deliveries easily put away by the skipper to bring Pakistan’s score at 60 at the end of the 11th over.

Imam and Babar are looking to settle things down after the surprise Abdullah wicket. A single from Siraj’s fifth ends the power play for Pakistan with 49 on the board.

Seven runs from Hardik Pandya’s first over as he replaces Bumrah in the attack. A boundary down the fine leg and three singles bring Pakistan’s total to 48 for the loss of one wicket. Captain Babar Azam is now at the crease.

Siraj dismisses Shafique on the last delivery of his fourth over. The ball comes back in sharply, keeps low and traps Abdullah in front of the wickets. He departs for 20.

Abdullah steps out on Bumrah’s second delivery and dispatches him for a boundary towards long on. Imam also flicks him down the leg side for a boundary on the last over with 9 runs coming off it.

While Bumrah has stifled the Pakistan openers from one end, runs keep on coming off of Siraj as a double and three singles result in five runs from the sixth over.

Another good over from Bumrah with the pacer bowling six dots to end a maiden for India. Imam tried to cut him towards point but good fielding from Ravindra Jadeja — arguably the best fielder in the Indian side — prevented a certain boundary.

Abdullah frees up his arms on the first delivery from Siraj and dispatches him for a boundary through the covers. Both the openers look good early on, with the pitch offering little to nothing to the pacers. A pair of singles and a boundary means six runs for Pakistan in the fourth.

The openers are wary and watchful against Bumrah who has a habit of picking early wickets in the power play. Just a single from the third ball brings Pakistan’s score at 17 for the loss of no wickets.

Siraj was sent to the covers three times in his first over. Two gorgeous boundaries and tickle down the fine leg got Imam off to a great start. All runs from boundaries for Pakistan so far. Siraj ends his first with Pakistan at 16 for no loss.

A nervy start for opener Abdullah Shafique as Jasprit Bumrah bowled five dot deliveries before he was flicked for a boundary on the last delivery. There does not seem to be early swing available for the bowlers, something the Indian skipper was interested in.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam said had he won the toss, he would have bowled first before proceeding to name an unchanged lineup.

India make one change, with Shubman Gill replacing Ishan Kishan.

Pakistan: 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Afridi, 11 Haris Rauf

India: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj

Two-time champions India have a perfect 7-0 record against Pakistan in the 50-overs World Cup and are also the top-ranked ODI team, who have won both their games in the tournament so far.

But Pakistan also have two wins from two at the World Cup after seeing off the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, and Babar is approaching the tournament’s most-anticipated clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket venue, with a complete disregard for the past.

“I don’t think about the past, I’d rather focus on future,” Babar told reporters with a wry smile on his face on Friday. “All records are meant to be broken, and we’ll try to break this record.”

Under Babar, Pakistan broke a Twenty20 World Cup sequence of five defeats (from 2007 to 2016) against India with a 10-wicket rout at Dubai in 2021.

Babar admitted conditions in Ahmedabad are different from those at Hyderabad where Pakistan played two warm-up matches and their first two World Cup games.

“Yes, the conditions here are different,” said Babar, whose team beat the Netherlands by 81 runs and Sri Lanka by six wickets. “You are better off at a venue where you have spent a few days but we will adapt.”