It was supposed to be the most intense match of World Cup 2023. But it ended up being one of the most one-sided contests as India cruised to a seven-wicket win in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
Pakistan looked poised to impose themselves after being asked to bat first in front of more than 100,000 fans. A flat surface at the Narendra Modi Stadium and blazing afternoon heat worked in Pakistan's favour, until the 30th over when they were well placed at 155-2.
From there, Pakistan's batting collapsed inexplicably and spectacularly, crashing to 191 all out to lose the initiative and the match.
India captain Rohit Sharma extinguished any remaining hopes by hitting a quick-fire 86 as the hosts eased to a victory with a little under 20 overs to spare.
The occasion got to Pakistan, as much as the Indian bowlers and Ahmedabad’s conditions.
On a flat wicket on a hot and humid afternoon in the city, Pakistan had the perfect platform.
Openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq were barely troubled as every delivery found its way to the middle of the bat.
Even when Mohammad Siraj bowled a cross seam delivery and trapped Shafique (20) lbw, and then Hardik Pandya had Imam (36) caught behind, Pakistan did not look in trouble.
The surface offered barely any movement for the quicks and only slow turn for the spinners. Captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan – the backbone of Pakistan’s batting – milked the bowling and looked destined to dominate the middle overs.
Turning the strike over and chugging along around five an over, Azam and Rizwan made a great platform at 155-2 in the 30th over. And then, it all went wrong.
Sharma had just brought Siraj back into the attack to get some reverse swing on a dry surface with the old ball. The right-arm quick obliged with the ball of the match, tailing into Azam (50) and clipping the off bail past his angled blade.
Then Kuldeep Yadav broke the back of Pakistan’s batting by first trapping Saud Shakeel lbw on the back foot and then bowling Iftikhar Ahmed off a googly around his legs.
Pakistan had slumped to 166-5 within three overs. But Rizwan was still there, approaching a fifty and hoping to pull the team out of trouble.
Sharma sensed an opportunity and brought back his best bowler – Jasprit Bumrah. The in-form pacer settled the contest with a smartly disguised slower one that drew Rizwan (49) into a drive a week too early, rattling the off stump and Pakistan’s batting.
From there, India’s bowlers tried all the tricks in the book and Pakistan’s lower order fell for every one. Five Indian bowlers picked up two wickets each. Every bowler took at least one very important scalp – a collective effort in the truest sense of the words.
Bumrah finished with 2-19 from his seven overs, Yadav took 2-35 and Ravindra Jadeja 2-38.
The chase went along exactly as expected. Captain Sharma made his intention clear from the first ball as he clipped Shaheen Afridi for a boundary off his legs.
His partner Shubman Gill had just recovered from dengue, but did not look like he had been in and out of hospital as he caressed three boundaries off Hasan Ali’s first over.
Gill looked like getting a lot more before his innings was cut short as he middled a square cut straight to point.
But Sharma kept the pressure up, taking on Haris Rauf in the first over and depositing him for two sixes – down the ground and over covers.
The pressure was off and it was time to get the job done quickly. Sharma looked like a million bucks as he smashed six sixes and as many fours as he raced to 86 off 62 balls before he was deceived by a slower one from Afridi to be caught at midwicket, missing out on another World Cup century.
Shreyas Iyer (53 not out) finished the job in the company of KL Rahul, completing victory in 30.3 overs for their most comprehensive win in what was expected to be the most high-pressure game.
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
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Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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Based: Dubai, UAE
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Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
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