India are playing Amit Mishra. Pakistan are playing Bilawal Bhatti. Clearly spin is on everyone's mind.
Pakistan XI: Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal†, Mohammad Hafeez*, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Bilawal Bhatti, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan.
India XI: RG Sharma, S Dhawan, SK Raina, Yuvraj Singh, V Kohli, MS Dhoni*†, R Ashwin, RA Jadeja, A Mishra, B Kumar, Mohammed Shami.
There will be a lot of spin bowled in this game.
The players are walking out now for the pre-match anthems.
The Pakistan openers are striding to the wicket now.
Mahone is clearly an Indian fan.
R Ashwin has the new ball. He would have been my pick too (not that anyone cares who my pick would be).
Ashwin starts from around the wicket attacking middle and leg
Akmal slog-sweeps the third ball for four.
Dhoni immediately pushes square leg back.
That's the only scoring stroke of the innings. After 1 overs, Pakistan is 4/0.
Bhuvi Kumar is sharing the new ball with Ashwin. Shehzad moves across his stumps and tucks him to square leg for a single.
Ashwin is into his final over now.
Dropped! Although it was a tough chance. Hafeez pulled Ashwin to square leg where it was Bhuvi's turn to make a hash of it. Didn't time his dive as well as the last time and the ball skipped away for four.
Pakistan 96/3 after 15 overs.
Mishra into his final over.
Umar Akmal surveys the field. He is going to attack Mishra if he can.
A single from Umar brings up the 50 partnership from 41 balls.
OUT! Malik comes off second best this time. Tried to slog Mishra inside out nbut doesn't time it. The ball loops to Raina at long-off. No chance of him dropping that one. Big wicket for Mishra and India.
Shoaib Malik c Raina b Mishra 18 (20b 1x4 1x6)
Pakistan 97/4 after 15.2 overs.
Shahid Afridi is the new man. Anything can happen now.
A single by Umar bring's up Pakistan's 100.
Another very good over from Mishra. Just four runs conceded and a wicket.
Pakistan 100/4 after 16 overs. Mishra finishes with 2 for 22 from his four overs.
Jadeja and the seamers to bowl out now, one expects.
It is Jadeja to bowl the 17th over.
Afridi almost pops one back to Jadeja. The ball died just before it reached the bowler.
Just two from Jadeja's over. More excellent bowling from India. Pakistan 102.4 after 17 overs.
It could have been worse for Pakistan if India had been able to take their catches.
Is it Boom-Boom time now? Shami is back into the attack. Fires the first ball in full and fast. Afridi can only manage a single.
OUT! Umar Akmal holes out to Raina at long-off trying to smash Shami. Couldn't get under another full delivery. India on top here.
Umar Akmal c Raina b Mohammed Shami 33 (30b 2x4 0x6)
Pakistan 103/5 after 17.2 overs. Both set batsmen have been dismissed.
Sohaib Maqsood is the new batsman.
Excellent stuff from Shami. Two runs and a wicket from his third over, India's 18th.
Pakistan 104/5 after 18 overs. They need a HUGE finish here from Afridi.
Bhuvi returns and Afridi some how manages to muscle the first ball to the square leg boundary. It was a thick inside edge.
A single to long-off is also he can manage off the second ball.
Maqsood gets off the mark with a thump down the ground for four. Gave himself room, cleared his front let and hit the ball back over Bhuvi's head. Bowler under pressure now.
Another swing of the bat but this time it results in just a single to long-on.
OUT! Afridi tries the slog sweep to a full toss but doesn't get all of it. It swirls in the air towards deep midwicket. Raina gets under it but bobbles the chance initially before grabbing the ball as he falls to the ground.
Shahid Afridi c Raina b Kumar 8 (10b 1x4 0x6)
