Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

India outclass Pakistan in World Twenty20

- (AFP)

– India extended their domination over Pakistan in World Cup events with a sevenwicke­t demolition of the arch-rivals in the Super-10 round of the World Twenty20 in Dhaka on Friday.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra grabbed two wickets for 22 runs in four overs as India kept Pakistan down to 130-7 after electing to field in the Group Two match at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.

Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma then gave India a flying start with a 54-run opening stand in eight overs as Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men surpassed the modest total with nine deliveries to spare.

India slipped to 65-3 before Virat Kohli (36 not out) and Suresh Raina (35 not out) steered their team to victory with an unfinished partnershi­p of 66 for the fourth wicket.

Pakistan, who have never beaten India in the 50-over World Cup or the World Twenty20, found runs hard to come by against the steady Indian attack led by Mishra and Ravindra Jadeja (one for 18).

Umar Akmal top-scored for Pakistan with 33 off 30 balls, but found little support at the other end as wickets fell at regular intervals on the slow pitch.

Sohaib Maqsood delighted a sell-out crowd of 25,000 by smashing 15 runs in the final over bowled by Mohammed Shami, before being run out off the last ball for a 11-ball 21.

Pakistan, who lost opener Kamran Akmal in the second over, moved to 44-1 by the eighth over when India hit back with two wickets in the space of three runs.

India restricted Pakistan to 503 at the half-way stage of the innings, before 13 runs in the 11th over bowled by left-arm spinner Yuvraj Singh appeared to lift the pressure.

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