Kamran fires as Pakistan warm up in style
Pakistan cricketer Umar Gul (C) celebrates the wicket of Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir (R). -Photo by AFP
COLOMBO: Kamran Akmal smashed an unbeaten 92 off 50 balls as Pakistan came from behind to defeat India by five wickets in a warm-up match for the World Twenty20 on Monday.
Pakistan, chasing India’s commanding 185-3, appeared to be out of contention when they lost five wickets by the 12th over with just 91 runs on the board at the Premadasa stadium.
But Akmal and former captain Shoaib Malik turned the game around with a brilliant unbroken stand of 95 off 46 balls that helped Pakistan beat the shell-shocked Indians with five balls to spare.
Akmal plundered six sixes, including the winning shot off seamer Irfan Pathan which sailed over the cover fence. Malik remained unbeaten on 37 off 18 balls.
Virat Kohli had earlier top-scored for India with 75 not out, while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed four wickets for 23 runs.
Some 3,000 Sri Lankan fans watched the arch-rivals battle out in the middle in the only warm-up match to be beamed live by the host broadcasters of the World Twenty20 that opens on Tuesday.
“We knew that if India could post a huge total, so could we,” said Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez. “Kamran was exceptional, and Malik’s experience also helped.”
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the batting worked well, but the bowlers needed to contain runs on the easy-paced wickets.
“It was not really a bad game for us,” he said. “We have got to work on a few things with our bowling.”India and Pakistan are drawn in different groups for the preliminary league, but are seeded to meet in the Super Eights round in Colombo on September 30.
In other matches, England beat Australia by nine runs, Ireland pipped Bangladesh by five runs, the West Indies slammed Afghanistan by eight wickets and South Africa overcame New Zealand by nine runs.
Reigning champions England piled up 172-6 after being sent in to bat, with opener Alex Hales top-scoring with 52 off 38 balls. Luke Wright hit a 29-ball 35 and Eoin Morgan scored a brisk 30 from 16 balls.
Australia managed only 163-6 in reply against the tight England bowling despite a polished 71 off 51 balls from Michael Hussey, who hit five sixes.
England, who take on Afghanistan in their opening match in Colombo on Friday, play another practice match against Pakistan on Wednesday.
A middle-order collapse saw Bangladesh go down to Ireland despite Shakib Al Hasan’s hurricane 52 from 23 balls that was studded with three fours and five sixes.
Ireland made 164-6 after being asked to take first strike, with Paul Stirling hitting a 41-ball 71 with five fours and as many sixes. Ed Joyce scored 39 from 36 balls.
Shakib and Tamim Iqbal (35) took Bangladesh to a comfortable 105-2, before four wickets fell for 21 runs to allow Ireland to bounce back.
West Indies opener Chris Gayle warmed up for the tournament with an unbeaten 65 off 48 balls as the West Indies eased past Afghanistan’s modest 122-7 in the 16th over.
New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor hammered seven sixes in an unbeaten 75 from 42 balls, but could not prevent South Africa from carving out a nine-run victory.
South Africa rode on captain AB de Villiers’ 54 to make 186-6 before four wickets from Dale Steyn restricted the Black Caps to 177-8.
Pakistan team learn from Kamran Akmal
Kamran on fire. Afridi in the cold house. Remove him from the team below he post more ducks.
Pakistan team should hard work for upcomming matches.
Talha
finally we broke the ice,the ritual of being beaten by india,lets hope we will face them again in super 8s and will beat them again inshallah
This is good thing in Indians they lost the game and even though they don’t accept it.
i must say it was not team performance but we won only coz of one men show it’s coz elder akmal we have to make plan for every match,if u see whole match then there is empty space of though and planing we won that is y we forget mistakes dnt do this,we have to make plan
Kamran sent Indian team to the cleaners!!! Well Done!!!
kamran is great
Sami should not play as this game is not about fast bowling. It is variation that counts which Sami knows nothing about. Even one bad over can cost the match. We have previously and should in the future depend upon our spin bowling and Razzak should play because of his experience and batting abilities.
To the editor
Atleast show pic of Kamral Akmal when your title is “Kamran fires…..”
Guys! Chill out… This was just a warm-up match (that too a T20) which anyone could win on their day — like, Ireland pipped Bangladesh, England beat Australia and Pakistan won!
yes like first T20 final luckily India won in supper over.
As a wise man said; “you know the match is fixed when Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik are the hilights of the day”
we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won we won. How goooooooood that feels. OH YEAH!!!!!!!
Can’t wait to see India and Pak in Final or semis, wow what if dream come true moment comes to life.
Nice contest. But one thing which I always miss most is, to watch the flamboyant batting of Shahid Afridi and Virender Sehwag. Both the batsmen are so immensely talented and stylish, and it’s a treat watching their batting but unfortunately both of them just throw their wicket. Looking forward to some exciting Indo-Pak matches in Sri Lanka. I wish the cup goes to either India or Pakistan and nowhere else, especially to these Aussies and English. Good Luck!
Sami is not used properly. He should be given the new ball. He is the only genuine fast bowler in the team. This is unfortunate that Kamran and Malik’s one time show will keep them in the team for long though they will not repeat this perfomance. It was better that pakistan should have lost the game atleast these two would not strenthen their positions at the cost of two capable young players who are waiting their chances and cricket mafia is keeping their support to these kind of dead horses.
Congrats team; I don’t like Akmals but today kudos to elder …
Why do we have Afridi in the team?
Cheers and good luck to Paki team,..
Pakistanis are excited!!!…They are thinking that they have won the world cup…..beware that u have won only a warm up match to which INDIA has not given much Importance ….Indians have gifted u to victory because u were failed to defeat any match in world cup against INDIA Congratulation For ur Big Big Big victory !!
But Indian team was playing the match seriously including Captain Dhoni and Kohli,Raina all looked very serious,Seems world cup is over for team India even before the first match is played .How does it feel to lose ?
Well done Pakistan. Good Indian’s practiced Ajmal saheb, will wait for the main match to begin
185/3 ..rem Pakistan has very good bowling attack and still we lost just 3 wickets..Strategy Match for Dhoni..well done Pakistan again.
Ajmal is one Spinner legend who is difficult to handle,even Sachin doesn’t has answer to his bowling.He is unplayable,doesn’t it feel jealous that you don’t have bowler legend like him ?
sami should play regardless of his one over performance today.. he will do good, i am sure…
Well done Pakistan good warm up!!!
In this entire saga, one person is hidden from every one’s criticism.
Can any one please tell me Umer Akmal inclusion in the team or tell me where he was able to steer the team out of danger?
Congrats Paak…….May u grow and prosper in every coming Game( AMeen)
India won even though it lost….India’s batting fired as expected by all but Pakistani bowling failed miserably which is never expected. So India passed the strength test but Pakistan failed.
I wish to see that sort of wins from India more and more these sort of failures from Pakistan. In the end it result matter most. I guess Dhoni was also thinking that Indian batting won against Pakistani bowling attack and he forgot that it was a test of Indian bowling too against poor Pakistani Batting, which was unexpected and caught him by surprised. Mr. True Indian there are always two sides of coin.
stay happy being a loser…this is one class most of us can never adopt this easily.
I will give that to you if that really makes you happy. Well done Pakistan for actually winning this game and well played India.
funny comment
very funny
You really are aTrue Indian