Dubai, Oct 24: Team India's dominance over Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup finally came to an end as they were defeated by Babar Azam-led side by 10 wickets on Sunday (October 24) here at Dubai Cricket Stadium.
Chasing a target of 152, Pakistan cruised home in style as captain Azam (68*) and Mohammad Rizwan (79*) carried the bat through to take their team home. The finish couldn't have been sweeter for the Men In Green as they registered a win by all ten wickets in hands and 13 balls to spare.
No Indian bowler could pose any challenge to the opening duo of Rizwan and Babar as they remained toothless with the ball. All three pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah failed to pick up any wicket.
The defeat will be hard to swallow for the Indians as they were outplayed by their neighbours in all three departments of the game.
Earlier in the day, captain Kohli wasn't at his fluent best but his 57 off 49 balls was the saving grace in India's middling score of 151 for seven against Pakistan in their opening Super 12 match.
His 29th half-century in T20 Internationals wasn't as good as some of his other innings but considering that he diffused a potentially troubling situation created by Shaheen Shah Afridi's (3/31 in 4 overs) menacing opening spell, this knock was significant.
Shaheen also did his bit at the death, removing the Indian skipper in the penultimate over. Kohli got support from Rishabh Pant (39 off 30 balls) during a 53-run stand but had to do the bulk of heavy lifting in a pressure cooker scenario, something he has been accustomed to for the past one decade.
His innings had five fours and a six as India managed a score that would give the bowlers at least something to fight for on a track that can't exactly be called batting-friendly. In an India-Pakistan game, one should always add "20 invisible runs", simply because of the weight it carries.
Shaheen, one of the most exciting fast bowlers produced two unplayable deliveries at the biggest stage under pressure, which any batter would have found difficult to negotiate.
The most difficult delivery from a left-arm fast bowler is the one that holds the line just when the batter had committed for the angle. In the case of Rohit (0), before he could adjust his footwork, he got one that was pitched in the blockhole and straightened. It caught him plumb in front.
KL Rahul (3) thought that the ball will straighten but it shaped in to breach his defence and disturb the off-stump. Suryakumar Yadav (11) did get a six over backward square leg off Shaheen and a boundary off Imad Wasim (0/10 in 2 overs) but Hasan Ali bowled one back of the length which he edged while trying to cut and a diving Mohammed Rizwan behind the stumps pouched it.
Pant joined Kohli as the Powerplay score read a disastrous 36 for three. They added 53 runs in 6.4 overs to get some momentum back in an exciting stand dominated by the left-hander.
The Indian captain did show Shaheen, who is the boss as he made room by shuffling towards leg-stump and lofted him straight into his team's dug-out for a six. For Hasan Ali, he reserved an exquisite square drive before he let Pant take over the show, having partially stabilised the initial rot.
Watching that there is a fielder placed at '45', Pant first played a lap shot off leg-spinner Shadab Khan (1/22 in 4 overs) and then back-cut Mohammed Hafeez from the middle-stump to get two boundaries. But the real fun was when he smoked Hasan for two one-handed sixes.
Shadab had the last laugh as a mistimed slog sweep turned into a return catch. Kohli, who was playing the second fiddle then took charge as he attacked Hasan with a pull-shot and then played a cover drive as 10 runs came off the 16th over. However, Pakistani bowlers didn't err much at the death to keep the score under check, credit for which should go to Harris Rauf (1/25 off 4 overs).
Here are the highlights from the match between India and Pakistan:
It's all over and History has been created!! Babar Azam-led Pakistan have ended the draught as they beat India by 10 wickets to claim their first win in WC.
Four! Rizwan hits another boundary off Shami and he seems to be in a hurry now. Pakistan need 3 more runs to win.
Four! Rizwan follows it with a boundary. Pakistan need 7 runs to win
SIX!! Mohammed Shami bowls a full toss and Rizwan pulls him over mid-wicket for a maximum.
After 17 overs, Pakistan reach 135/0. They need 17 off 18 balls.
Pakistan reach 130/0 after 16.2 overs. Both the openers are in their 60s in the run chase.
This is the first Men's T20 World Cup match where both captains scored 50+ runs. Virat Kohli 57(49) Babar Azam is still batting on 50+
After 15 overs, Pakistan reach 121 for no loss. They require 31 more off 30 deliveries. This is some statement being sent by the Men In Green!
Four! Brilliant shot from Rizwan off Bumrah and with that shot he completes his fifty off 41 deliveries.
Four! Babar hits Jadeja in the gap and gets another boundary; Pakistan are inching closer towards a big win.
SIX!! Babar Azam hits Chakravarthy over mid-wicket and gets to his half-century off 40 deliveries.
SIX!! Rizwan slog sweeps Chakravarthy over mid-wicket for a maximum. Brilliant shot from the opener.
Pakistan reach 85/0 after 12 overs. Tidy over from Jadeja but India desperately need a wicket here else this game will be over for them.
9 runs came from Bumrah's second over of the match and Pakistan reach 80/0 after 11 overs.
Four! Slower one from Bumrah and Babar hits him over mid-off for a boundary.
Kohli brings Bumrah into the attack in the 11th over.
After 10 overs, Pakistan reach 71/0. Rizwan - 35* & Babar - 34* have been batting exceedingly well in the run chase. They need 81 off 60 deliveries and have all ten wickets in hand.
Four! Babar Azam welcomes Varun Chakravarthy with a boundary as he plays a brilliant cut shot.
SIX!! A rare loosener from Jadeja and Azam hits him over mid-on for a biggie.
50 up for Pakistan in the 8th over. This is just the start they were hoping for in a run chase against India.
Ravindra Jadeja concedes 3 from his first over of the night. Pakistan reach 46/0 after 7 overs.
8 runs came from that Bhuvneshwar Kumar over and Pakistan reach 43/0 in 6 overs. This has been a brilliant start for them in run chase as they haven't lost any wicket in the powerplay.
Pakistan reach 35/0 after 5 overs. Terrific start from the openers in the run chase.
Four!! Another poor delivery from Shami and Rizwan just guides it towards the mid-wicket boundary.
Four! Loosener from Shami and Babar hits him over mid-wicket for a boundary.
Tidy first over from Chakravarthy as he concedes just 2 runs from it. Pakistan reach 24/0 after 4 overs. It has been a fine start for Pakistan so far.
Varun Chakravarthy has been brought into the attack by Virat Kohli in the fourth over.
Tidy over from Bumrah as he concedes just 4 runs off it. Pakistan reach 22/0 after 3 overs.
Bumrah will be bowling the third over for India. Kohli & Co will have to pick up wickets to keep themselves in the hunt.
8 runs came from that Mohammad Shami over and Pakistan reach 18/0 in 2 overs. Good start for the Men in Green in the run chase.