Wicketkeeper batsman Kamran Akmal played an explosive innings to help Pakistan beat India by five wickets in the Twenty20 World Cup warm-up match played at P Sara Oval in Colombo on Monday.

Akmal scored 92 runs (not out) off 50 balls to help Pakistan achieve target with five balls to spare.
Indian spinner R Ashwin struck in his consecutive overs to claim the wicket of Shahid Afridi, Mohammad  Hafeez and Umar Akmal.
Hafeez was caught at long-on by Rohit Sharma on the third ball of the 10th over later on the fifth ball of the same over Afridi was caught by Zaheer Khan at long-off for a duck.

Umar Akmal was caught and bowled by Ashwin in the 12th over.

Pakistan were 91/5 in 11.3 overs at this stage of the game.

Earlier, Ashwin struck in his very first over of the match to claim the wicket of Pakistan opening batsman Imran Nazir. He scored 13 runs off 11 balls before being caught by Suresh Raina in the fourth over of the innings.

Later in the fourth over Nasir Jamshed was run out for a duck by MS Dhoni.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma struck quickfire half-centuries to power India to 185 for three against arch-rivals Pakistan in their second warm-up game ahead of the ICC World Twenty20.

Kohli celebrated his ICC ODI Player of the Year award with yet another sterling knock of unbeaten 75, while Sharma returned to form with a 40-ball 56.

The highlight of India's innings was the 127-run fourth-wicket partnership between Kohli and Sharma that came off just 77 balls.

Kohli decorated his 47-ball stay at the crease with seven fours and two huge hits over the fence, while Sharma struck six boundaries and two maximum during his knock.

Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was the most successful Pakistani bowler with figures of two 22 from his four overs.

Electing to bat, Gautam Gambhir (10) and Virender Sehwag (26) stitched 41 runs for the opening stand before the former was cleaned up by Umar Gul in the fifth over.

To make matters worse for India, the dangerman Sehwag departed in the next over after being unable to keep a cut down. He was caught by Shahid Afridi off Ajmal's bowling.

But then came the in-form Kohli and Sharma, who combined together beautifully to raise the century stand, which laid the foundation of India's score.

The duo, however, started cautiously before opening up. Both Kohli and Sharma initially started with ones and twos but didn't waste any single opportunity to hit boundaries and sixes when opportunities came their way.

They were especially severe on leg-spinner Shahid Afridi who gave away 41 runs from his four overs.

Afridi gave away 15 runs off his final over, courtesy a four by Kohli and one six and a boundary from Sharma's willow.

Not only Afridi, other Pakistani bowlers too had to bear the brunt of Kohli and Sharma's destructive moods as the duo scored boundaries and sixes at will towards the business end of the innings.

The duo, however, brought up their half centuries in contrasting fashion. While Kohli struck a boundary to notch up his fifty, Sharma found the landmark with a single.

The century-stand partnership between Kohli and Sharma finally ended in the 19th over when Ajmal went through the later's defence, but not before the duo had already inflicted serious damage on Pakistan.