India vs Pakistan, ICC World Twenty20 2016 Highlights

Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni should bat ahead of Suresh Raina for remainder of T20 World Cup 2016

Yuvraj Singh will be a perfect No. 4 for India © AFP

Suresh Raina was dismissed for a golden duck in the T20 World Cup 2016 Group B, Match 19 at Eden Gardens on Saturday. By contrast, Yuvraj Singh scored a crucial 24, while MS Dhoni made an unbeaten 13. This would not have mattered as much had it been a one-off issue, but that has sadly not been the case. Raina has been batting at No. 4 more or less consistently since his return to the national side earlier in the year, but given the recent performances of all three men it is about time for Raina to move down the order.

Raina’s run of scores since Asia Cup T20 2016 has been 13, 1, 25, 1, and 0. The corresponding numbers for Yuvraj have been 15, 14 not out, 35, 25 not out, 4, and 24. For Dhoni the scores have been 8 not out, 7 not out, 7 not out, 20 not out, 30, and 13 not out. Dhoni has been dismissed only once, and even that was in the match against New Zealand where he was waging a lost battle.

Given the way Dhoni has batted recently, it would be logical for him to bat at No. 4, a position he has had his eye on for some time now. Unfortunately, as Dhoni himself has mentioned he does not have a lot of faith on the lower order so he has to hold himself back. However, he seems to have regained his touch enough that he can bat at No. 5 and guide the innings from there.

Virat Kohli masterminds 6-wicket chase as India keep World Cup record against Pakistan intact in ICC World T20 2016

With that in mind, getting Yuvraj back to No. 4 — a position he had made his own in ODIs — seems like a good idea. Yuvraj has shown signs of his old form repeatedly over the last month, and has the proven calibre of batting up the order. Yuvraj is the perfect batsman for the position since he can play the waiting game and cash in later on. He has used his experience well while chasing. This was on full display against Pakistan in both the Asia Cup and the World T20. Yuvraj is the ideal No. 4 for the side, and should take over that slot from Raina for the remainder of the T20 World Cup.

Raina, meanwhile, does not deserve to be dropped from the side entirely. There is no doubt that Raina has a place in the team that extends beyond his batting. He is by far one of the best fielders in international cricket and is Dhoni’s first-choice part-time spinner ahead of even Yuvraj. However, he has not played an innings of substance since his unbeaten 49 against Australia in the third T20I, and even then his innings came after the top three batsmen had got India off to a flying start.

Raina has been one of India’s best finishers over the last few years, and he should continue batting at No. 5 or 6, depending on the situation. He has said in the past that he wants the chance to bat up the order, but with India’s usually dependable openers stumbling, he had to face the new ball quite often since that innings against Australia, and he has had a torrid time.

What is most disappointing is the way he has been picked, often playing unnecessary shots early in his innings. His technique has never been flawless, and he remains suspect against the moving and bouncing ball. If he returns to the familiar No. 6 position he can perform a role he is best suited to.

India have a good chance of making it to the final four. Their confidence would have been shaken after the loss to New Zealand, but the win against Pakistan would have alienated some of the fears. With a few changes to the batting order, India’s batting headaches will be cleared up as well.

Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni Star in Six-Wicket Win

Virat Kohi was once again the boss as India cantered home to a magnificent six-wicket win in Kolkata against Pakistan. This win has put India back on track in the World Twenty20 and has extended their record to 11-0 in World Cups against Pakistan.

Virat Kohli celebrates after helped India defeat Pakistan by six wickets in World T20.

23:55 hrs IST: That brings us to the end of the match. Join us tomorrow for the double-header tomorrow.
23:45 hrs IST: Here are the quotes of the captains after the match
Dhoni: "I didn't expect it to spin so much. The spinners got plenty of help out there. It got slightly better in the second half and they had only one spinner. I think we can still do better (playing against spin). There are areas where we can still improve. It is important that you when you win games you address all those areas."
Afridi: "I did not expect the pitch to spin so much, but no excuse. I think we didn't score enough runs. We were short by 30-35 runs. Their spinners bowled well."
23:35 hrs IST: Virat Kohli is the Man of the Match for his unbeaten knock of 55. He says, "It was a challenging wicket out there. You need new challenges every innings that you play. I was disappointed that I got out for about 25 in the last game. I knew if I had scored 40-45 we could have won."
23:23 hrs IST: There it is! What a win for India. They win by six wickets and extend their World Cup winning streak against Pakistan to 11-0 (Fifty Over and Twenty20). Virat Kohli has given the fans in Eden Gardens plenty to cheer. They are back in the contest.
23:19 hrs IST: The target is under 10 runs now for India. Virat Kohli is bossing over in Eden.
23:17 hrs IST: Brilliant from Kohli. He notches up his 14th fifty as India close in on a win. For Pakistan, it is another big opportunity wasted at another ICC event.
23:09 hrs IST: India need less than a run-a-ball. Mohammad Amir is back and he is the only hope for Pakistan. However, their chances are slim.

Yuvraj Singh shared a 61-run stand with Virat Kohli.

23:04 hrs IST: WICKET! Eden is hushed but Yuvraj has done his job. Short ball from Wahab and Yuvraj pulls it to deep midiwcket, Sami takes the catch. Yuvraj c Sami b Wahab Riaz 24 (23), India 84/4 after 12 overs, need 35 off 36 balls.
22:59 hrs IST: Kohli bisects the gap and he finds the boundary. Malik concedes 14 runs in his over and in the next over bowled by Wahabm he begins with a six.
22:57 hrs IST: India are coasting. Kohli top-edges the slog sweep but it goes over deep backward square leg. The crowd in Eden Gardens erupt.

Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli had a steady partnership as India kept themselves in the hunt in Kolkata.

22:51 hrs IST: Wahab Riaz is into the attack. Pakistan need to break this partnership.
22:47 hrs IST: Edged and safe! Malik spins this delivery viciously and it hits Yuvraj on the glove, it lobs past a vacant slip. Why didn't Afridi have a slip? Dhoni had a slip most of the time for the spinners.
22:45 hrs IST: Both Yuvraj and Kohli are steadying the ship for India. In the 2012 World Cup, it was these two batsmen that got India over the line in Colombo.
22:38 hrs IST: In the air but safe, short ball which climbs up, Yuvraj is hurried into the pull and he miscues it totally, it lands safely at mid wicket.
22:37 hrs IST: Now Yuvraj joins in the fun. Brilliant shot on the up. Another wide ball outside off, Yuvraj flows into the drive and he laces it to deep extra cover, Amir puts in the dive but he deflects it onto the ropes.

Mohammad Sami picked up two wickets to put Pakistan on top in Kolkata.

22:35 hrs IST: Shot! Kohli breaks the shackles. Short ball and wide outside off, Kohli uses the pace and steers it to third man for a boundary.
22:34 hrs IST: India have crawled to 28/3 after six overs. They need 91 off 72 balls.
22:31 hrs IST: Shahid Afridi is into the attack. This is a crucial period of play for the batsmen. Afridi is getting some big spin.
22:27 hrs IST: WICKETS! Sami makes it up. Short of a length ball and it is close to off stump, Dhawan is cramped for room as he tries to run it down, he gets an inside edge onto the stumps and it hits the off stump. Next ball, Suresh Raina goes for the drive and he drags it back onto the stumps, the leg stump is flattened. Dhawan b Sami 6 (15), Raina b Sami 0 (1). India 24/3 after five overs.
22:23 hrs IST: Mohammad Sami gets off to a poor start. Short and wide ball and Dhawan cuts it past point for a boundary.

Rohit Sharma was dismissed cheaply by Mohammad Amir as Pakistan made a good start.

22:20 hrs IST: Irfan is getting some extra bounce off the wicket. This has been a slow start for India. After four overs, they are 18/1.
22:17 hrs IST: Brilliant over from Amir. Only two runs, courtesy leg byes, conceded in the over plus the wicket of Rohit, who loves to score at Eden Gardens. Pakistan are ready for the fight.
22:12 hrs IST: WICKET! Amir gets Rohit cheaply again. Good length ball and Rohit tries to drive it on the up, mistimes it and Shoaib Malik takes the catch at widish mid-off. Rohit Sharma c Malik b Amir 10 (11). India 14/1 after 2.1 overs.
22:08 hrs IST: Rohit Sharma gets going with a cracking boundary off Mohammad Irfan. They are doing ti steady.
22:07 hrs IST: Steady start for Mohammad Amir. He does not have the same impact like he did in the Asia Cup but India score just four runs in the first over.

Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya impressed in Kolkata against Pakistan.

21:50 hrs IST: Pakistan have finished up on 118/5 after 18 overs. It is a decent total, considering the slow start that they got.
21:47 hrs IST: Bumrah will bowl the last over. Surprisingly, Ashwin has not bowled out. Dhoni's tactics confounding.
21:43 hrs IST: WICKET! Nehra gets the big wicket. Malik tries to pull a slow delivery but gets the top edge, Ashwin takes it at short fine leg. Malik c Ashwin b Nehra 26 (16), Pakistan 105/5 after 16.2 overs.
21:40 hrs IST: WICKET! Jadeja breaks a solid stand. Short and flat delivery outside off, Umar Akmal tries to cut but gets the edge. Umar Akmal c Dhoni b Jadeja 22 (16).
21:36 hrs IST: Last two overs, Pakistan have scored 28 runs. Pandya gave away 15 while Bumrah conceded 13 runs.
21:34 hrs IST: This is a wonderful knock from Malik so far. Bumrah bowls it too full and he smokes the drive past Dhawan at deep cover for a boundary. Next ball, Bumrah bowls a full toss and Malik whips it to deep backward square leg for another boundary. Pakistan 95/3 after 15 overs.
21:32 hrs IST: India slipping up slightly here. Bumrah oversteps but the free-hit yields only a single. The partnership between Umar Akmal and Malik is nearing 30. This is a vital stand.
21:29 hrs IST: Shoaib Malik cracks the first six of the match. He latches onto the slower delivery and tonks it over mid wicket. That has hushed the crowd in Kolkata. Last ball of the 14th over, Malik crunches a flat six over wide long on. 15 runs in the over. Pakistan finally make a move on.
21:25 hrs IST: Pakistan's struggle continue. They are 67/3 after 13 overs. Just five overs remain. Will they get to 100?
21:19 hrs IST: WICKET! That is a poor stroke. Pandya bowls a fullish ball on off stump, Afridi mistimes the lofted shot and holes out to Kohli, who runs in from long on to take the catch. The crowd erupt with joy. Afridi c Kohli b Pandya 8 (14), Pakistan 60/3 after 11.5 overs.
21:16 hrs IST: Hardik Pandya is into the attack. He had gone off the field after he fell while taking the catch at long on off Sharjeel.

Jasprit Bumrah and the Indian spinners restricted Pakistan on a tough pitch in Kolkata.

21:15 hrs IST: Jadeja gives away three runs as the run-rate for Pakistan continues to be under five. After 11 overs, they are 54/2.
21:12 hrs IST: Afridi survives. Bumrah bowls the off-cutter and Afridi attempts the heave, he misses and the ball just goes over the bails.
21:10 hrs IST: WICKET! The pressure has gotten to Shehzad. Full ball outside off, Shehzad goes for the slog and he ends up slicing it to backward point where Jadeja runs back to take the catch. Shehzad c Jadeja b Bumrah 25 (28).

Ahmed Shehzad hung in as India's spinners spun a web in Kolkata.

21:06 hrs IST: This is a very poor pitch. Forget home conditions. This is an ICC event and the quality of the pitches for the India games has been appalling. No excuses for giving such a poor strip for a big game.
21:05 hrs IST: Shahid Afridi has come in at number three. However, he gets a real handful from Jadeja. He beats him comprehensively. Afridi has no clue against Jadeja. Pakistan 42/1 after nine overs.
21:02 hrs IST: WICKET! Eden Gardens roar. Tossed up delivery outside off, Sharjeel comes down the track and mistimes the lofted shot, Pandya runs in from long on and dives forward to take the catch, but he bangs his head as he lands on the outfield, he goes off the field. Sharjeel c Pandya b Raina 17 (24), Pakistan 38/1 (7.4 overs).
21:00 hrs IST: Suresh Raina into the attack. Shehzad tries to break the shackles but he mistimes it.
20:58 hrs IST: Another brute of a ball. Shehzad is on the dancing floor. He dances down the track and Jadeja bangs it short and it spins away sharply, Shehzad has to adjust as he taps it to point. Pakistan are 35/0 after seven overs.
20:56 hrs IST: Ravindra Jadeja is into the attack. The trial by spin continues. The third ball is a magnificent ball. He slants this ball in on leg stump and it spins away at pace. Shehzad is beaten all ends up. Nothing anybody can do about it. Pakistan 34/0 after 6.4 overs.
20:55 hrs IST: Ashwin is bowling his third over. Only four runs come off it. Pakistan in danger of batting too slowly.
20:52 hrs IST: The powerplay has yielded only 24 runs for Pakistan. They have made a cautious start.
20:48 hrs IST: Jasprit Bumrah is into the attack. First ball, Sharjeel mistimes it and the ball lands just in front of mid on.
20:47 hrs IST: Shehzad launches Ashwin to long-on and he brings up 1000 runs in Twenty20 Internationals. He is the second youngest to get to the landmark.

Sharjeel Khan and Ahmed Shehzad got off to a cautious start in Kolkata.

20:45 hrs IST: Another brilliant ball. Ashwin floats this delivery in on leg stump, it grips the surface and spins away sharply, it rears up from the deck like a Cobra, Sharjeel gets into an awkward tangle and the ball pops off the outside edge to point.
20:42 hrs IST: Sharjeel smacks the first boundary of the evening. Nehra pitches it full on leg stump and he flicks it to deep backward square leg for a boundary.
20:39 hrs IST: Shehzad also get beaten by Ashwin's sharp spin. He plays inside the line of the delivery and the ball just misses the off stump. Brilliant over from the offspinner. He troubled both batsmen with his length and spin. Pakistan 5/0 after two overs.
20:37 hrs IST: Beauty of a ball from Ashwin! He angles this delivery in and it spins away sharply, the ball just misses the off stump, Sharjeel is beaten all ends up. He is beaten again for the second time. Sharp spin from Ashwin.
20:34 hrs IST: Good start for Nehra. He concedes just three runs in the first over. The last ball of the first over was miscued slightly but the ball landed in front of the bowler.
20:32 hrs IST: Sharjeel gets off the mark with a couple courtesy a bottom-edged pull to deep square leg. Nehra gets some swing.
20:30 hrs IST: Ashish Nehra will open the bowling. Three bowlers will bowl a maximum of four overs. Powerplay overs will be from overs one to five.
20:28 hrs IST: The Indian players are out in the huddle. The Pakistani batsmen are all set. Ahmed Shehzad and Sharjeel Khan are striding out to the middle.
20:23 hrs IST: The captains are out there. Shafqat Amanat Ali is singing the national anthem of Pakistan. Next is the anthem of India. Amitabh Bachchan is singing and the crowd are on their feet in India.
20:15 hrs IST: Here are the playing XIs of both teams
India (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni(w/c), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah
Pakistan (Playing XI): Sharjeel Khan, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed(w), Shahid Afridi(c), Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan
20:10 hrs IST:MS Dhoni has won the toss and will bowl first in Kolkata. The match has been reduced to 18 overs-per-side.
20:03 hrs IST: Before the start of the match, the Pakistan Women's team defeated India by two runs courtesy D/L method. Can the Pakistan Men's team replicate the same?
20:00 hrs IST: Match has been reduced to 18-overs a side. Toss will take place at 20:10 hrs IST.

Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Imran Khan, Virender Sehwag and Amitabh Bachchan were felicitated by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

19:53 hrs IST: Imran Khan reminded the Eden fans what happened when he last played at the venue. India lost by 77 runs to Pakistan in the Nehru Cup encounter.
19:48 hrs IST: Sachin Tendulkar, who was also felicitated by CAB, says that contests between India and Pakistan are always exciting. The crowd at the Eden Gardens are absolutely over the moon. Amitabh Bachchan said, "I would like to thank Sourav Ganguly for giving me the opportunity to come to Eden Gardens."
19:46 hrs IST: Imran Khan and Sachin Tendulkar have been felicitated by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Imran Khan says," It is a delight to play in Kolkata. I hope Pakistan achieve the same result which happened when I last played in Kolkata.
19:38 hrs IST: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is honouring former Pakistan world-cup winning captain Imran Khan and Wasim Akram.
19:33 hrs IST: The super-soppers are continuing to mop up the ground as more covers are being removed. The stumps are being placed.

The match between India and Pakistan was delayed at the Eden Gardens due to heavy rain just before the start of the match.

19:28 hrs IST: If the match does not start by 20:15 hrs IST, then we will start losing overs. The cut-off time for a five-over game is 22:20 hrs IST.
19:24 hrs IST: It has been 25 minutes since the toss has been delayed. Still no confirmation about the inspection or playing conditions.
19:15 hrs IST: The ground-staff are working hard to ensure that all the water has been removed from the square.
19:07 hrs IST: The main cover has come off the pitch. More and more covers are slowly coming off. We might be approaching a time where an inspection could take place soon.
19:03 hrs IST: Meanwhile, at Eden Gardens, Sourav Ganguly is monitoring the mopping-up operations.
19:02 hrs IST: While the Women have registered a thrilling win, can Pakistan's men team replicate the effort?
18:59 hrs IST: The match at the Kotla has been cancelled. Pakistan Women have defeated India Women by two runs courtesy D/L method
18:56 hrs IST: The toss has been delayed at the Eden Gardens. We are awaiting confirmation of an inspection soon.
18:54 hrs IST: While the crowd at Eden Gardens await the covers to be removed, the India-Pakistan match will be a massive star-lit occasion. This is how.
18:51 hrs IST: Live visuals from the ground show that the ground is totaly covered. Some of the covers at the far end of the ground are being removed slowly.
18:50 hrs IST: Ahead of the marquee clash, thousands of fans are giving their support to the Indian team. Here is where you can give your best wishes to the Indian team.
18:47 hrs IST: The cut-off time for the Women's match between India and Pakistan at Feroz Shah Kotla is 18:50 hrs IST. Pakistan are ahead by two runs on D/L method.
18:41 hrs IST: Over in Kotla, it is raining. The cut-off time for the Women's match is 18:55 hrs IST: Pakistan are currently ahead on the D/L method.
18:40 hrs IST: The covers are coming off, although slowly. The ground-staff are seeing the condition of the pitch. Still no word of when the covers will entirely come off.
18:35 hrs IST: It is that kind of day. Just when one thinks the rain has settled in, it stops. The ground-staff are busy at work clearing the water of the covers.
18:31 hrs IST: The toss could be delayed. The rain has not stopped at the Eden Gardens.
18:23 hrs IST: It had stopped raining for some time, but it has once again started to drizzle in Kolkata.
18:19 hrs IST: The current situation is this. India managed only 96/7 in 20 overs and in response, Pakistan's Women's team are 77/6 after 16 overs. The rain has stopped play at the Kotla with Pakistan two runs ahead on DLS method.
18:18 hrs IST: The rain has also spread from Kolkata to Delhi where the Indian Women's team is battling it out against the Pakistan Women's team at the Feroz Shah Kotla
18:16 hrs IST: This current tweet sums up the situation. The whole ground is covered and the supersoppers are out on the field.
18:14 hrs IST: A warm welcome to the clash between India and Pakistan from the Eden Gardens. First update and it is not good news. It is pouring in Eden Gardens and the ground is completely covered. We could have a delayed start.

Pakistan have never defeated India in the ICC World Twenty20 and they will be aiming to break their jinx.

In the ICC World T20, the score-line between India and Pakistan reads 4-0. When one extends it to the ICC 50-over World Cup, it is 6-0. A combined scoreline of 10-0 in matches between the arch-rivals. It is this stat that has become a hoodoo for Pakistan fans. However, they will be favouring their chances against an Indian side that has been brought crashing down to earth after their loss to New Zealand in Nagpur.

The dominance of India in ICC events against Pakistan will be tested at the Eden Gardens. At this venue, Pakistan hold the edge, having never lost a limited-overs match to India at this venue. However, there are weather concerns heading into this match. It had rained heavily earlier in the morning and the fans will be hoping that rain stays away.

Pre-Match Camaraderie

The hype and tension that has surrounded the build-up of this India-Pakistan encounter has been unprecedented. From Pakistan threatening to not arrive in India, from the venue being shifted to Dharamsala and Kolkata, there has been plenty of drama.

However, in the pre-match practice session, both teams were in good mood. Shoaib Malik and Suresh Raina shared a wonderful camaraderie while Afridi and Amir had some wonderful moments with Virat Kohli. This show of spirit is a good sign at a time when tensions between India and Pakistan continue.

Batting concerns for MS Dhoni and his team

For India, the loss to New Zealand has meant that every match is a must-win if they have to stay in the hunt for the knock-outs. With the Kiwis winning against Australia, their task has been made difficult.

The batting needs to pull their socks up after their dismal show in Nagpur. However, in the pre-match press conference, R Ashwin said that the team had the capability to bounce back. "We have been in similar situations in the past and know how to come out of it," he said.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni might not make too many changes heading into the match. However, with the wicket in Kolkata being slow, he might be tempted to boost the spin department by bringing in either Harbhajan Singh or Pawan Negi in place of Hardik Pandya

Pakistan aim to break Hoodoo

There has been plenty of drama surrounding the Pakistan team off the field. Their skipper, Shahid Afridi, generated controversy when he said that he had gotten more love in India than Pakistan. This has prompted sharp criticism from some Pakistan legends, including former captain and coach Javed Miandad.

However, on the field, Pakistan are determined to shed the baggage of losses in ICC events. Coach Waqar Younis said, "They run the risk of going out of the tournament and that adds a lot of pressure on them. As far as Pakistan is concerned, we are happy with our Bangladesh performance and if we can repeat that, we will have a good chance."