The Indian bowlers delivered a dominating performance in the innings, limiting Pakistan to a paltry 191 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Pakistan’s opening pair consisted of Imamul Haq and Abdullah Shafiq, who managed to build a partnership of 41 runs. Unfortunately, Mohammad Siraj dismissed Abdullah Shafiq for 20 runs in the eighth over. This was a crucial wicket for Siraj, who earlier conceded some runs to Pakistan.
Muhammad Siraj’s excellent performance continued as he took the wicket of Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, after his half-century.
India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, won the toss and chose to bowl first in this highly anticipated World Cup match, expecting a crowd of 120,000 fans in attendance. Opening batsman Shubman Gill returned to the Indian team after recovering from dengue fever, taking the place of Ishan Kishan.
Rohit Sharma expressed his excitement about the atmosphere in Ahmedabad, calling it “fantastic” and acknowledging the extraordinary experience that awaited the players.
Moreover, India, the favorites in this match, came in unbeaten after securing victories against five-time champions Australia and Afghanistan. Pakistan, too, had won their previous matches against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, successfully chasing down a World Cup record of 345 runs in Hyderabad.
If Pakistan had won the toss, their captain, Babar Azam, revealed that they would have also chosen to field first, given their good form and the confidence gained from their recent victories. The stadium, known as the world’s largest cricket stadium, was primarily filled with blue-clad Indian fans since many Pakistani supporters had been unable to secure visas.
