India tuned up for their blockbuster showdown with Pakistan at the T20 World Cup by hammering Namibia by 93 runs in New Delhi on Thursday.
With the high-octane game against their arch-rivals looming in Colombo on Sunday, Ishan Kishan got in the mood with 61 off just 24 balls in India’s 209-9.
Namibia, who won the toss and chose to field, were bowled out for 116 as India matched Pakistan in making it two wins out of two in Group A.
“The Pakistan clash will be a special one for everyone,” Kishan told reporters. “Once we get there, we’ll look at the wicket, have an idea of what will be a good total and we will play accordingly.”
Opening batsman Kishan was out for 20 just as he was getting going in India’s first match against the USA, so was pleased to kick on this time.
“Getting runs is always a good thing for batters. We have been doing well from the previous series as well, so all these matches that we played, there has been a lot of learning and confidence which we gained.”
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Varun Chakravarthy put the squeeze on Namibia who started brightly to reach 67-1.
The spinner took 3-7 from his two overs as defending champions India made it 10 wins in a row in T20 World Cups.
Chakravarthy struck with his first ball to remove Louren Steenkamp for 29 in the eighth over and took two more wickets in his second over as Namibia tumbled to 86-4.
Fellow spinner Axar Patel took two wickets with his left-arm spin, including Malan Kruger, for five, when Jasprit Bumrah took a high, diving catch at short fine-leg.
Hardik Pandya grabbed two wickets in two balls near the end with his seam bowling, but the hat-trick was averted before the innings folded in 18.2 overs.
India top the group from Pakistan on net run rate, and the winner of Sunday’s clash will be assured of advancing to the Super Eight stage as one of the top two in the five-team group.
For India, Sanju Samson struck 22 in eight balls and Kishan smacked left-arm pace bowler JJ Smit for four sixes and a four to raise his fifty off 20 balls.
India had raced to 100 in the seventh over when captain Gerhard Erasmus dismissed Kishan with the first ball of his spell before finishing with 4-20 from his four overs.
India had a mini-collapse from 104-1 to 124-4 before Pandya, who hit 52, and Shivam Dube, who made 23, rebuilt the innings with a stand of 81 for the fifth wicket.
“Every game is important, we started a bit scratchy but we are on the road,” said India captain Suryakumar Yadav after a more convincing display than the opening 26-run victory over the United States.
All-rounder Pandya, who was named Man of the Match for his 52 off 28 balls and 2-21 from four overs, fell to off-spinner Erasmus just with substitute fielder Dylan Leicher taking a stunning grab in the deep.
He caught the ball on the run but flipped the ball up inside the playing area as he stepped over the ropes, before crossing back to complete the catch.
Photo: BCCI
