Pakistan’s total score has exceeded 100 runs in 19 overs, with Mohammad Rizwan and skipper Babar Azam maintaining the Green Shirts’ scoreboard against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Pakistan’s openers, Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq, were dismissed for 20 and 36, respectively.
The Pakistan openers, Imam and Shafique, made a strong start with boundary hits after India put them to bat during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj removed Shafique, and fast bowler Hardik Pandya sent Imam back.
Azam’s Pakistan is seeking its first-ever World Cup victory over India, with a record crowd of approximately 120,000 fans expected, largely supporting Rohit Sharma’s home team.
India and Pakistan, bitter rivals, only face off in international tournaments due to longstanding political tensions.
Matches between them always generate tremendous fan interest, with millions tuning in worldwide, making it a broadcasting and sponsorship bonanza.
Both teams enter the match unbeaten at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, named after the Indian prime minister.
Local officials report that the 132,000-capacity stadium will host around 115,000 to 120,000 fans, with some seats lost due to a stage set up for a pre-game concert featuring Bollywood singers.
This figure could set a record for any cricket match globally, surpassing the previous best of 104,859 attendees at last year’s Indian Premier League final at the same venue.
Due to visa restrictions, only a few Pakistani fans with British and US passports could attend the game.
This is Pakistan’s first match following their record World Cup chase of 345 against Sri Lanka, with Mohammad Rizwan scoring an unbeaten 131 and Abdullah Shafique contributing 113.
The Pakistan team hasn’t played in India since 2016, and only two members of their 15-man squad had been in the country before the World Cup.
Security concerns prompted the match to be moved a day ahead from its original date, which coincided with a major Hindu festival in the city.
Playing XIs
Pakistan:
1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Afridi, 11 Haris Rauf
India:
1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj
