India decimates Pakistan in World Cup 2023

India decimated Pakistan in the World Cup 2023.The highly anticipated clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, held at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium, unfolded as a decidedly one-sided affair, with India triumphing over their arch-rivals and extending their World Cup dominance to a staggering 8-0.

In this thrilling encounter, India once again asserted their supremacy over Pakistan, adding to their victories in previous ODI World Cup encounters in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2015, and 2019. The tradition of choosing to chase at Ahmedabad continued as Rohit Sharma, after winning the toss, invited Pakistan to bat first.

Earlier in the match, India mounted a stunning comeback during the middle overs, ultimately dismissing Pakistan for a mere 191 runs. The wickets were shared among key bowlers, with Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Siraj, and Ravindra Jadeja all contributing with two wickets each. Pakistan had been in a promising position at 155/2, thanks to a partnership between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. However, the momentum shifted as Mohammed Siraj claimed the wicket of the Pakistan captain, breaking the 82-run partnership. Kuldeep Yadav then accounted for Saud Shakeel, and Bumrah's delivery sent Rizwan packing before dismissing Shadab Khan in the very next over. Pakistan's innings spiraled downward, and they were eventually bowled out for a modest 191.

Chasing this target of 192 on a seemingly flat pitch was never going to trouble India. Rohit Sharma set the tone by hitting a boundary off the first ball of the innings bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi. Shubman Gill, making his World Cup debut after missing the initial two matches due to dengue, marked the occasion with a boundary off his first delivery. Despite losing Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli early in the innings, Rohit Sharma continued to dominate.

Shubman Gill's promising innings hinted at his potential importance in the upcoming matches, given his excellent form this year. Virat Kohli's dismissal for 16, courtesy of Hasan Ali, marked the first instance in 11 years that Kohli had been dismissed without scoring a half-century against Pakistan in any World Cup match.

Rohit Sharma, the standout performer, contributed a stellar 86 runs off 63 balls and was on course for another century. Following a rare duck against Australia in India's tournament opener, he had been in sensational form, notching a record-breaking hundred against Afghanistan on October 11, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar for the most centuries in ODI World Cups, and securing the fastest World Cup hundred by an Indian. The match was swiftly concluded in just 30 overs, with Shreyas Iyer remaining unbeaten on 53 to seal India's convincing victory.