New Delhi: With a boisterous crowd flocking the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday evening for the much-awaited T20 World Cup opener for India and Pakistan, the charged-up Men In Blue put to bat reeled with 36/3 at the end of the powerplay.
This is the second-lowest powerplay score for India in a T20 World Cup match, while the first was against New Zealand in the 2016 World Cup when India posted 29/4 in the first six-over. And overall, this is the third-worst powerplay performance by Men In Blue in T20 Internationals.
Another subdued show was when India toured Australia, in 2008, the Dhoni-led team slumped to a meagre 30/4 in the powerplay.
Also read | IND vs PAK Score Live: Virat Kohli Scores Fifty As India Set 152-Run Target For Pakistan
India's dismal show was witnessed with the score reading 2/2 when Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul returned to the hut early. Nevertheless, India had upped the ante after a slump in the powerplay as India's skipper Kohli led the charge to post a modest total of 151. This could be a challenging target for Pakistan considering the sluggish pitch condition. All they have is the powerplay to display their prowess as the dew could play a pivotal role in the later stages of the match to turn the tables around.
For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi got a three-wicket haul while giving away 31 runs in four overs. While another Pakistan quick Hasan Ali bowling from the other end has picked up two crucial wickets in four overs despite maintaining a lavish economy rate of 11 runs. Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf took a wicket apiece.
Considering the statistics, India didn't make it to victories in those three matches after dismal performances in powerplays. But, it is awaited to see that can Kohli's men break the jinx and prove that low powerplay scores don't necessarily mean that a team will lose.