Chaser supreme Kohli seals it for India

At 60 for 3 with the 12th over coming to an end, Pakistan had to do something to get out of the rut. India’s bowlers were making excellent use of the track – Ashwin was unplayable in his only spell of 3-0-12-0 with the new ball – and Pakistan was rapidly running out of time when Malik, with a penchant for Indian attacks of various ilk, joined up with Akmal.

Immediately, Malik got down to business, sussing that Pandya could be the weak link in the Indian attack. He latched on to a slower one and sent it 93 metres over deep midwicket, a stroke repeated two deliveries later by Akmal as 15 came off the 14th over, and Pakistan had discovered the required impetus. The next over was a pretty poor one from the otherwise impressive Jasprit Bumrah. Twice, he took the pitch out of the equation with full tosses, and twice Malik hammered him for fours, first through the covers and then through square-leg.

Despite the mid-innings explosion from Akmal and Malik, India did pull things back at the very end. The last three overs went for 23 and Jasprit Bumrah bowled a sensational final over that yielded only seven. That was just the spur Kohli the chaser supreme needed as he kept India’s interest in the tournament alive.

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