Another familiar script

INDIA HAND PAKISTAN 61-RUN DEFEAT IN HIGH-VOLTAGE CLASH IN T20 WC

- MEENAKSHI RAO

The biggest match of this World Cup did not simply arrive; it loomed heavy with memory, politics and the familiar ache of rivalry. When it finally passed at R Premadasa Stadium, it left behind a result that now feels almost ritual. India had won again, extending their dominance to eight victories in nine World Cup meetings and sealing a one-sided 61-run triumph that sent them into the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup.

India's 176 for 7 was, in cricketing terms, a par-plus total on a surface that gripped and held for spin. But in emotional terms, it was more than enough, because India's strength in this rivalry now lies not just in runs scored but in control asserted.

After Pakistan asked India to bat, the start was unusual. Captain Salman Ali Agha brought himself on in the opening over, and Abhishek Sharma fell trying to lift him over the infield, only to find Shaheen Shah Afridi at the edge of the circle. Off spin continued through Saim Ayub in the power play, and Pakistan briefly found control. But for the next eight overs, the evening belonged to Ishan Kishan.

Kishan's incandescent 77 off 40 balls stood out for both daring and difficulty. His half-century came from just 27 deliveries, setting both tempo and tone of the innings. He played with a freedom that refused to acknowledge the noise around him, as though the occasion belonged to his bat alone.