Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli's heroic 82 helps India beat Pakistan by four wickets in T20 World Cup sizzler
Melbourne: India's run machine Virat Kohli played a scintillating knock of unbeaten 82 runs to help India beat Pakistan by four wickets in a high-voltage T20 World Cup Super 12 stage match here on Sunday.
After restricting Pakistan to 159 runs for the loss of eight wickets, led by Kohli, India reached the winning target of 160 runs by losing six wickets.
Kohli, who was adjudged the Player of the Match, hammered six boundaries and four sixes in his dashing knock which changed the course of the game.
Kohli smashed Haris Rauf for two consecutive sixes in the 19th over which left India closer to the target.
Despite losing Hardik Pandya (40) and Dinesh Karthik (1), Kohli and Ashwin reached the target at the end.
Mohammad Nawaz gave away extras in the final over to make things tough for Pakistan.
Ashwin hit a single in the last ball of the innings to register victory.
India were struggling at 4-31 at one point in the match.
Kohli and Pandya contributed 113 runs in the fifth wicket partnership which changed the course of the action.
Kohli remained the champion of the night as he anchored the innings with his heroic knock and perfectly wished the countrymen on Diwali by giving them a victory.
In the last edition of the T20 World Cup in UAE last year, Pakistan had defeated India by 10 wickets and then even defeated the side in the Asia Cup to knock out the neighbours from the tournament.
Haris Rauf and Mohammad Nawaz picked up two wickets for Pakistan.
Rauf had removed two quick Indian wickets early to leave India in trouble.
India started their World Cup campaign with a victory.
"I was pumping myself for two sixes. I am lost for words," Kohli said after the match.
"This is a very special moment," he said about the innings and hitting two sixes against Rauf.
He also rated this innings against Pakistan as one of the top he played in his career.
He thanked the fans for supporting him when he was 'struggling' with the willow.
Earlier, half-centuries from Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed helped Pakistan post a competitive total 159/8 in their ICC T20 World Cup clash against arch-rival India in here at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Iftikhar took a particular liking to the spin of Axar Patel, as he helped Pakistan overcome the loss of Babar Azam for a golden duck and Mohammad Rizwan for just four to post a respectable total at a packed MCG.
Arshdeep Singh (3/32) had both Pakistan's openers back in the pavilion by the end of the fourth over, only to see Iftikhar (51 off 34 deliveries) and Shan Masood (52* from 42 balls) dine out on India's spinners during the middle overs.
The pair put on 76-run stand for the third wicket to resurrect Pakistan's innings, with Shaheen Afridi (16 off eight balls) hitting some big late blows to help boost the total.
Iftikhar took 21 from one Axar over, with the right-hander smashing three sixes inside four deliveries to help bring up just his second T20I half-century of his career.
Veteran India seamer Mohammed Shami (1/25) was brought back into the attack with immediate effect as he removed Iftikhar, before Hardik Pandya (3/30) picked up a pair of wickets to reduce Pakistan to 106/5 with five overs remaining.
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