KOLKATA: Hosts India beat Pakistan by six wickets in a rain-hit Super 10 stage match of the World Twenty20 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Saturday. Put into bat after the Group Two match was reduced to an 18-overs-a-side contest because of a wet outfield, Pakistan scored 118-5 before Virat Kohli (55 not out) helped India to 119-4 in 15.5 overs for the hosts’ first win in the tournament. Virat Kohli once again stood between Pakistan and a victory against India when he scored 55 off 37 balls to guide his team home. After a delayed start due to rain, Pakistan were sent in to bat first by India in an 18-over encounter at the Eden Gardens and scored 118-5 in their allotted quota of overs. Shoaib Malik top-scored for Pakistan with 26 off 16 balls courtesy three boundaries and one six on a track which turned widly. Ahmed Shehzad contributed 25 top of the order off 28 balls, while Umar Akmal scored 22 off 16 to add to the Pakistani total. For India, Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bhumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresha Raina and Hardik Pandya bagged one wicket apiece. In their chase, Kohli was untouchable once again as he hit seven boundaries and a maximum. Meanwhile, Muhammad Sami took two wickets for Pakistan. The match between the winners of the first two editions of the tournament was originally scheduled in the picturesque north Indian city of Dharamsala before Pakistan’s security fears led to it being moved to Kolkata.
