DUBAI: Veteran Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Sunday registered the best bowling figures by an Indian bowler against Pakistan in T20I cricket. He accomplished this feat during his side’s blockbuster Asia Cup 2022 clash against Pakistan in Dubai.
Kumar gave India an amazing start during the powerplay by taking the wicket of star batter Babar Azam for just 10 off 9 balls with a short ball which hit the top edge of his bat and went into the hands of Arshdeep Singh at short-fine leg.
Later, during the innings, Kumar would come back to wreak some more havoc in his second spell, taking wickets of Shadab Khan (10), Asif Ali (9) and debutant Naseem Shah (0). Bhuvneshwar Kumar ended with figures of 4/26 in four overs with an economy rate of 6.50.
With this, Bhuvneshwar has overtaken the brilliant spell by all-rounder Hardik Pandya during the Asia Cup 2016 against Pakistan, in which he took 3/8 in 3.3 overs at an economy rate of 2.28, which proved to be instrumental in bundling out Pakistan for just 83, which India chased down.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/9 in four overs in December 2012), Irfan Pathan (3/16 in four overs in September 2007) and Lakshmipathi Balaji (3/22 in September 2012) are some other notable spells delivered by Indian bowlers against Pakistan in the shortest format of the game.
Coming to the match, Pakistan were bundled out for 148 in 19.4 overs. Opener Mohammed Rizwan (43) and Iftikhar Ahmed (28) were the only ones who could contribute something decent with the bat. The pace and short-length deliveries of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4/26), Hardik Pandya (3/25) and Arshdeep Singh (2/33) and Avesh Khan (1/19) blew away Pakistani batters and wickets fell at a regular rate.
Chasing 149, India lost K L Rahul for a duck in the very first over. After this, Virat Kohli (35) anchored the innings and formed a 49-run stand with skipper Rohit Sharma (12), who largely struggled at the other end. Twin strikes from Mohammed Nawaz, who took Sharma and Kohli’s wickets, restricted India to 3/53.
Following this, a 36-run stand between Ravindra Jadeja and Suryakumar Yadav helped moving the scoreboard, before Suryakumar fell to debutant Naseem Shah for 18. A 52-run stand between Jadeja (35) and Hardik Pandya (33*) followed, which took India close to a win and in-form Pandya finished the proceedings with a six with two balls to spare, giving India a five-wicket win.
Nawaz (3/33) and Naseem Shah (2/27) bowled really well for Pakistan, though not enough to give them a win.
Pandya was adjudged as ‘Man of the Match’ for his all-round performance. (ANI)