Kamran Akmal butchered Indian bowling as Pakistan won – T20 Warm-up game

Pakistan 5-186 (Kamran Aakmal 92*, Mohammad Hafeez 38, Ravichandran Ashwin 4-23) beat India 3-185 (Virat Kohli 75*, Rohit Sharma 56, Saeed Ajmal 2-22) by five wickets.

Kamran Akmal bulldozed the Indian bowling, played one of the finest innings of his life and Shoaib Malik assisted him well as Pakistan won the tall scoring game.

India piled up 185 runs for the loss of just three wickets and Pakistan hammered 186 runs with five wickets in hand and five balls to spare.

The ICC World Twenty20 Warm-up Match was played at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on Monday, September 17, 2012.

Kamran Akmal - A scintillating unbeaten knock of 92 from 50 balls
Kamran Akmal – A scintillating unbeaten knock of 92 from 50 balls

Earlier, MS Dhoni, the captain of India, won the toss and elected to bat on a placid batting wicket and the innings was opened by their experienced batsmen, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag. The duo preferred to attack and Sehwag started off with 25 runs in the third and fourth over with 1 six and 4 fours. The score was taken to 41 in 4.4 overs when Gautam Gambhir edged a ball off Umar Gul on to his stumps and was gone for 10 runs. Virender Sehwag became the next victim after the addition of just three runs to the total at his personal feat of 26 off 14 balls with 1 six and 4 fours.

The young guns of India, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma joined at the crease, enhanced the rate of scoring and the first hundred of the innings appeared on board in the 13th over. Sharma dispatched 4 fours in the 14th, 15th over and achieved his fifty in the 16th over. Kohli attained his half century in the very next over and the third wicket partnership associated 127 runs. Rohit Sharma was clean bowled by Saeed Ajmal for 56 off 40 deliveries with 2 sixes and 6 fours.

Virat Kohli continued with his brilliant form with the bat and remained unbeaten for 75 off just 47 balls with 2 sixes and 7 fours as the Blue Shirts amassed 185 runs at the end of the 20th over.

Saeed Ajmal was the top wicket taker with two wickets and Umar Gul claimed one.

Pakistan initiated their innings in a positive manner with their skipper, Mohammad Hafeez and the hard hitting, Imran Nazir. The score reached 30 after 3.3 overs when Imran Nazir was caught smartly by Suresh Raina off Ravichandran Ashwin for 13. The newcomer, Nasir Jamshed, was lazily run out for a duck two balls later as Kamran Akmal joined in with Mohammad Hafeez. Kamran Akmal made his intentions clear by dispatching a six to Harbhajan Singh on the second ball he faced. He was the most aggressive of the two and opted to score in the boundaries rather than running between the wickets.

Ashwin claimed his second wicket when Mohammad Hafeez was caught at long on by Sharma for 38 off 29 balls with 1 six and 4 fours. The Green Shirts were reeling at 5-91 in 11.3 overs when the seasoned Shoaib Malik took guards in the centre. They kept the score board moving and geared up in the 15th over with two grand sixes from Kamran Akmal who reached his fifty as well.

Pakistan required 45 runs from the last 24 overs as Kamran Akmal added another 14 runs with 1 six and 1 four in the 17th over. The target was reduced to 22 from 12 balls as both batsmen punished Lakshmipathy Balaji for one six each. Kamran Akmal hit the winning six on the first ball of the 20th over as Pakistan thrashed 186 runs for the loss of five wickets. Kamran Akmal was at the crease for 92 off 50 mere deliveries comprising 6 huge sixes and 5 sweetly timed fours as the solid batsman, Shoaib Malik, held his end with 37 from just 18 balls with 2 lofty sixes and even fours.

Ravichandran Ashwin was the only successful bowler for the Blue Shirts with four wickets.

Pakistan made the first impact while beating their arch rivals India by five wickets on the Sri Lankan soil prior to the start of the ICC Twenty20, Warm-up match.


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