India v Pakistan: key plays

MOMENT OF THE DAY

Ravindra Jadeja runs out Shoaib Malik

At 114-3 in pursuit of India’s 319-3 and with overs ticking by, Pakistan needed something special from Shoaib Malik, their most destructive hitter. Instead he was on the receiving end. After punching his way to 15 from nine balls, Shoaib angled one behind square on the offside for an attempted single. He took a few steps, hesitated, and by the time he’d turned back, Jadeja had swooped with his left hand and unleashed an underarm flick that took the stumps out on the full. Shoaib was barely in the frame, and nor, in truth, were Pakistan.

MAN OF THE DAY – INDIA: HARDIK PANDYA

Hardik Pandya’s charismatic display was in keeping with the way he has attacked international cricket so far. Virat Kohli likes expressive cricketers and Pandya, a natural athlete and brilliant outfielder, is the perfect model. Promoted up the order ahead of established batsmen for the final few overs, he climbed into the off-spin of Imad Wasim to bunt three consecutive sixes from the first three balls of the final over, before tearing in with good pace – regularly clocking 140kph – to claim two wickets, to go with a smart catch on the legside boundary. In just his seventh ODI, Pandya enjoyed his most complete performance so far in an India shirt.

MAN OF THE DAY – PAKISTAN: SHADAB KHAN

A bruising day for Pakistan with few positives to cling to. But at least, in the form of Shadab Khan, they appear to have unearthed another richly talented prodigy. Just 18, the leg-spinner bowled with outstanding nerve and nous against India’s masters, going for 52 from his 10 overs, and claiming the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan; and he should have had a second, defeating Yuvraj Singh’s attempted lofted drive with a well-disguised googly, only to see a simple catch grassed by Hasan Ali at long-off.

STAT OF THE DAY

India smashed 72 runs from their last four overs, with 23 coming off the final six balls. Contrast that figure with the 55 they managed in 14 overs in the middle of the innings, at a run-rate of under four per over. That’s how to accelerate.

SHOT OF THE DAY

It has to be Virat. Relatively subdued initially, as Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh played the big shots, Kohli suddenly opened up spectacularly. Sitting on 45 from 57 balls and itching to get going, he unfurled an astonishing cross-batted lofted pull shot against a rising Hasan Ali delivery that flew over long-on for his first maximum of the tournament. The guttural scream that punctuated the shot signalled much more just his fifty – make that 67 times he’s passed the mark from just 180 ODIs; this was Kohli declaring to the world that he is here, primed and supremely motivated to lift this trophy as captain for the first time. After that he was unstoppable, plundering 30 from his final 10 balls to finish unbeaten on 81.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Pandya can be our Ben Stokes” – Yuvraj Singh, Man of the Match for his 32-ball 53, salutes the all-action brilliance of Hardik Pandya and offers a tantalising glimpse of his potential. No pressure…