World T20 cricket: Clinical India hammer Pakistan in Colombo

India reignited their World Twenty20
campaign with a comprehensive
eight-wicket Super Eights victory
over their bitter rivals Pakistan in
Colombo.
Thrashed by Australia on Friday and in
danger of going out of the competition,
India skittled Pakistan for 128.
India lost Gautam Gambhir in the first
over, but the composed Virat Kohli took
the lead in a well-timed run chase.
Kohli made 78 not out as India won
with 18 balls in hand to take the group
to the final round of matches.
India play South Africa on Tuesday and
group leaders Australia take on
Pakistan, with all four teams still in with
a chance of reaching the semi-finals.
The 2007 World T20 champions have
now beaten Pakistan in every World Cup
match between the teams, whether in
50-over or 20-over formats.
Their latest triumph owed a great deal
to the decision to replace spinners
Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla
with seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji and
opener Virender Sehwag.
Balaji took three wickets as he strangled
the Pakistan scoring by varying his pace
and bemusing the batsmen with the
occasional fast off-spinner.
For his part, Sehwag took fewer risks
than usual as he helped India recover
from the early loss of Gambhir - caught
and bowled by Raza Hasan - in a
partnership of 74 with man-of-the-
match Kohli.
"It was a really important game for us,
against good opposition on a slowish
wicket," Kohli told BBC Sport.
"It was a perfect situation to put in a
good team performance, rectifying the
last performance we had against
Australia which wasn't up to the mark.
We moved it around really nicely and
got the right result today."
After winning the toss, Pakistan made a
bright start, sprinting to 17-0 off eight
balls before Irfan Pathan removed the
talented Imran Nazir leg before wicket
with an inswinger.
Shahid Afridi, surprisingly promoted to
number three, belted his first ball down
the ground for four to the delight of the
Pakistan fans who outnumbered their
Indian counterparts in the stands.
But he succumbed for 14 attempting
his first six as Suresh Raina clung onto
a testing catch at deep midwicket.
Yuvraj Singh followed up with the
wickets of Nasir Jamshed and Kamran
Akmal before captain Mohammad
Hafeez played on to Kohli's part-time
off-spin after labouring to 15 off 28
balls.
A partnership of 47 off 33 balls by
Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal steered
Pakistan back on course for a total of
around 150.
But both were caught during a brilliant
spell from Ravichandran Ashwin as
India regained command.
Umar Gul could not repeat his heroics
of Friday - when his 32 off 17 balls saw
Pakistan past South Africa - falling to
Balaji for 12 in the last over of the
innings.
With such a small target to defend, it
was only ever going to take one
significant partnership for Pakistan to be
on the ropes, and so it proved as
Sehwag and Kohli sapped the life out of
their opponents.
Kohli offered a chance on 42 when he
slashed to backward point but Umar
Akmal could not hold on to the catch as
he dived to his left from backward
point.
Sehwag clubbed Afridi to long-off to fall
for 29, but India were not to be denied
as Singh and the formidable Kohli
accelerated over to the line to wrap up
a resounding win.