Heroic Virat Kohli charges India to victory against Pakistan

Indian vice captain  Virt Kholi’s heroic unbeaten 37-ball 55 created a history of sort at the Super 10 Group  II in the rain-curtailed  18-over  match as this was first time that the hosts beat Pakistan  at Eden Gardens in any format of cricket.
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In a must win situation for India, the hosts while chasing Pakistan's score of  118 for 5 reached 119 by losing four wickets.

The win put India with two points in the group like  Pakistan, which earlier  defeated Bangladesh in the first match here. 

India were beaten  in the opener against New Zealand at Nagpur.

Inform Kohli was declared player of the match for his unbeaten  55 runs off  37 balls with 4x7 and one six.

India started shakily with 33/3 when top order batsmen R Sharma , S Dawan and S Raina got out early.

But Yuvraj Singh and Kohli held the slide and virtually brought the low scoring match into India’s favour.

M S Dhoni side  looked  unsettled from the very 3rd over when opener Rohit Sharma (10) upped above his head while trying to hit Md Amir and Shoaib Malik had no trouble to hold it, silencing the plus  60,000 fans at Eden Gardens which had witnessed many thrilling encounters in the history of the game.

Initially, Rohit had shown some promise when he greeted  Md Irfan  with a boundary and another to the fence of his last ball.  But a rising  ball from Md Amri brought Rohit batting early end at India’s 14 runs on board.

Muhammad Sami was more deadlier fast bowler for the visiting side as he dismantled the castles of another opener Shikar Dawan (6) and Suresh Raina (0) of  his third and 4th ball  to put India under pressure.

But dependable batsmen Virat Kholi and Yuvraj Singh ( 23 from 24-ball)  held the  slides
for India  and picked up runs  for the hosts.

Their partnership produced  61 runs  from 44 deliveries.

Pakistan claimed their fourth wicket when left handed Yuvraj Singh was out while trying for a big hit off Wahab Riaz as Md Sami held the catch .

Earlier, India restricted Pakistan to 118 for 5. Play began at 2030 hours, an hour later due to rain forcing the match to be reduced to 18-over a side.

Fine bowling and tight fielding by the Indians had forced the Pakistani batting  into defensive.

Bowling  first after winning the toss India conceded only three runs in first over off pacer Ashish Nehra  and then MS Dhoni introduced spinner Ravichandran Aswin, who was more economical,  giving 12 runs in first three-over  spell.

In a bid to unsettle the rivals, Indian captain rotated  his bowlers with Suresh Raina getting success immediately  in his first over when opener Sharjeel Khan (17) lofted  his second ball and Hardhik Pandiya held brilliantly on leg side.

Medium pacer Jasprit Bumrah in his second over got out another opener Shehzad  Ahmed (25).

India got the  big wicket when Pakistani  skipper Shahid  Afridi returned  to dug out quickly after scoring only 8 runs  off 14 balls.

Afridi, who was hero of the previous match against Bangladesh, was out when he tried to hit a big off Hardik Pandiya and Virat Kholi had no problem to hold the the prized wicket. 

Pakistan first six came in 13.4 overs when Shoaib Malik hit at log off of Pandiya and another
sixer by Umer Akmal  on the last ball.

The 14th over was very costly for India conceding 15 runs. 

However, wicket came again for India in 15.5 over  when  MS Dhoni held Umer Akmal ( 22 ) off  Ravindra Jadeja, who finished  with one wicket for 20 runs in four overs. 

Then Ashish Nehra immediately  got Shoaib Malik ( 26 run with 4x3 and one 6)  as R Aswin held the catch at long off.

(Image by Ankit Dey/IBNS)