Muhammad Jameel shone in Pakistan blind team’s comprehensive win over India in the opening match of the T20 series here at Bagh-i-Jinnah on Friday. Punjab Governor Latif Khosa officially inaugurated the Brien Holden Vision Pakistan-India Blind Cricket Series. Pakistan beat India by 71 runs to go one up in a three-match series. India won the toss and asked Pakistan to bat first. Pakistan started briskly but Shekhar Naik dismissed the dangerous Muhammad Zafar cheaply. Muhammad Jameel and Masood Jan then build the innings and accelerated after a conscious start.
Masood and Jameel added 106 runs for the second wicket. Masood lost his wicket after scoring 46 runs while Pakistan score was 129 runs at that time. India came back strongly and ripped through the middle order of Pakistan as four of their wickets tumbled for just 17 runs.
Pakistan were hovering around 146 for 6 in the 16th over but Jameel stood in India’s way and played extraordinary shots and took Pakistan to a competitive total of 201 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. He was the last batsman to fall, and that on the last ball of Pakistan innings. He scored 89 runs off 53 balls with the help of 11 fours and a six. India failed to bowl 20 overs in the stipulated time and bowled two overs after the break – conceding 12 runs and by these additional runs Pakistan score reached 213.
Shekhar Naik was the best bowler for India. He took 4 wickets by giving away only 22 run in 4 overs. India, in reply, started steadily and their first wicket fell for 79. When Hatish was stumped on the bowling of Waqas, the second wicket fell when Masood Jan ran out Vikas Patel. He scored 10 runs. Thereafter Pakistan tightened the screws with brilliant fielding and tight bowling and Indian middle and lower order fell like a house of cards. India scored 142 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs. Parkash was the top scorer with 75 runs. Jameel took two wickets while Abdul Razzaq, Muhammad Waqas and Yasir shared a wicket each. Later Muhammad Jameel was named the Man of the match.
