India vs Pakistan: Virat Kohli epic leads Men in Blue to 4-wicket win in T20 World Cup 2022

That single turn was an impeccable innings by Virat Kohli. Once Pakistan posted 159 for 8 after surviving from the early blows, India had a tough chase at their hands. Tough indeed it was!

Pakistan pacers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf whipped some good pace and got the wickets of openers Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav early to leave India in a marshy land.

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The situation was quite similar to what Pakistan had gone through earlier in the innings and India mounted the recovery process and chase via Virat Kohli, who played an innings full of character to make an unbeaten fifty, and Hardik Pandya.

But once Kohli had set his eyes on the prize, there was no stopping of him and India.

Earlier, the genesis of India restricting Pakistan to a par score was in the early strikes by Arshdeep Singh. The young left-arm pacer used the conditions to perfection to take out big wickets of Pakistan.

The overcast conditions gave more than handy assistance to India’s new ball bowlers — Arshdeep and senior partner Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bhuvneshwar started the proceedings with gem of a first over and Arshdeep gave an even bigger reward in the second over.

Arshdeep managed to straighten a delivery after pitching and Babar Azam played all over it, as the ball thudded on to his pads. The Pakistan reviewed the call more in optimism than in any real conviction as the third umpire confirmed the on field call.

Soon, Arshdeep dug one short and Rizwan could not resist the temptation of a pull and the ball safely landed in the hands of Bhuvneshwar near square leg boundary.

After those early dismissals of their batters elite, Pakistan took their time to regroup through Shan Masood and Ifitkhar Ahmed. They were no real hurry to score off and was calm under the relentless pressure applied on them by the Indian bowlers.

However, as the partnership blossomed the Pakistani duo did not let go any opportunity to score and Axar Patel bore the brunt of their intent.

Iftikhar hammered left-arm spinner Axar for 21 runs in his lone over including 3 sixes that gave a massive fillip to Pakistan’s charge towards a fighting total.

In the process, both Iftikhar and Masood completed their respective fifties and on this day they worth their weight in gold. They were not your typical brutal T20 hundreds but played with sensible aggression while respecting the bowlers and conditions.

As it happens on some days, pragmatism trumps brazen aggression.