New York, 9 June 2024: India successfully defended 119 runs at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York to beat Pakistan by six runs in a low-scoring Group A fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 on Sunday.

Naseem Shah took three for 21, Haris Rauf claimed three for 21 and Mohammad Amir snapped up two for 23 to bowl India out for 119, their second-lowest score in a T20 World Cup. Jasprit Bumrah led India’s fightback with figures of three for 14, while Hardik Pandya claimed two for 24 as Pakistan finished on 113 for seven on a substandard T20 pitch.

Pakistan needed 18 runs in the last over and managed 11 runs, including two fours off the final three balls of the innings by Naseem Shah. Pakistan were in control of the proceedings when they were 57 for one at the halfway stage and then 83 for four after 15 overs, needing 37 off the last five overs.

Babar Azam (13) and Mohammad Rizwan (31) stitched a 26-run first wicket partnership off 28 balls before Rizwan and Usman Khan (13) put on 31 runs off 33 balls. However, the lower-order batters struggled to put bat to ball and dominated India bowlers, although Imad Wasim scored 15 and Fakhar Zaman chipped in with 13.

This was Pakistan’s second successive defeat, meaning they are winless after two matches with games against Canada and Ireland remaining. In contrast, India and the USA have two wins apiece from the same number of matches.

Pakistan will now play Canada on Tuesday. The only way Pakistan can now progress to the Super-Eight Stage is by beating Canada and Ireland convincingly and hoping the USA loses heavily to India and Ireland that will help the 2009 World Champions to improve their net run-rate that will come into play if teams are locked on equal points.

India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant was the top-scorer of the match with a lucky 42 off 31 balls, including six fours. In Mohammad Amir’s second over, the sixth of the innings, Pant could have been caught twice; instead, he got 11 runs before eventually falling to Amir in the 15^th over.

Virat Kohli, who had given Pakistan a heartbreak in Melbourne two years ago with an 82 not out, lasted just three balls this time. Rohit Sharma joined Kohli in the dug-out seven balls later as India slipped to 19 for two in 2.4 overs.

Axar Patel (20) added 39 runs off 30 balls for the third wicket with Pant, while Pant put on 31 runs off 22 balls with Suryakumar Yadav for the fourth wicket to take India to 89 for four. At that stage, Pakistan fought back to claim the remaining six wickets for 30 runs in just over eight overs as India collapsed to 119 all out in 19 overs.

Scores in brief

India beat Pakistan by six runs, Group A

India 119 all out, 19 overs (Rishabh Pant 42, Axar Patel 20, Rohit Sharma 13; Naseem Shah 3-21, Haris Rauf 3-21, Mohammad Amir 2-23)

Pakistan 113-7, 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 31, Imad Wasim 15, Babar Azam 13, Usman Khan 13, Fakhar Zaman 13, Jasprit Bumrah 3-14, Hardik Pandya 2-24)

Player of the Match – Jasprit Bumrah (India)

“I’ve got to say that is not a good surface to play an international match on,” Flower told ESPN cricinfo. “It is bordering on dangerous. You see the ball bouncing on a length both ways so skidding low occasion but in the main bouncing unusually high and striking people on thumb, gloves and helmet and making life very very difficult for any batsman.”

India will play Pakistan here on Sunday and with both sides boasting some of the best fast bowlers in the world, the batters in the two sides risk being hit.

“Shocking surface,“ Michael Vaughan posted on X. “Trying to sell the game in the States is great.. love it but for players to have to play on this sub standard surface in New York is unacceptable. You work so hard to make it to the WC [World Cup] then have to play on this.”

On what was the first international match at this venue on Monday, South Africa ripped apart Sri Lankan batting line-up as bowled them out for 77. The tricky nature of the pitch meant that South Africa had to work their way towards the target and could only win the contest in the 17th over after losing four wickets.

Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis had labelled the pitch “spicy” on the occasion and former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan called it “not an ideal” pitch for T20 cricket.