COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Sept 17: Kamran Akmal hit six sixes and five fours in an entertaining knock of 92 not out as he guided Pakistan to a five-wicket win over India in a World Twenty20 warm-up match on Monday.
Akmal´s 50-ball innings included an unbroken partnership of 95 runs with Shoaib Malik that salvaged Pakistan from 91-5 in 11 overs and helped the team pass a formidable 185-3 made by India in their 20 overs.[break]
Offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin threatened to steal the game for India with four wickets but Akmal and Malik handled the pressure well to recover, making 37 not out.
India´s in-form batsman Virat Kohli top-scored with an unbeaten 75 and Rohit Sharma assisted him with 56 as the pair added 127 runs for the third wicket after their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.
Kohli faced 47 balls and hit seven boundaries and two sixes while Sharma´s runs came off 40 balls including six boundaries and two sixes.
Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal returned best figures of 2-22 in his four overs.
Pakistan started their chase well but lost three wickets in seven runs to be precariously placed on 91-5, needing to score nearly nine runs per over before Akmal and Malik combined. Ashwin returned 4-23 in his four wickets.
Pakistan´s batsman Kamran Akmal plays a shot during a warm-up match against India ahead of the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday. (AP)
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