India lose to Pakistan at blind World T20

Blind Indian wicketkeeper Prakash (L) celebrates the dismissal of Pakistani batsman Muhammad Jamil (R) during the T20 cricket World Cup for the Blind event at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi on February 1, 2017. / AFP PHOTO /

The bowlers bowled underarm and the batsmen played only sweep shots but the highly charged atmosphere at the World T20 for the blind Wednesday was otherwise typical of any contest between India and Pakistan.

The players wore their hearts on their sleeves -- fervently shouting out to each other to take the odd catch or stop the ball from hitting the boundary at New Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla ground.

The white rattle ball barely rose up to their ankles but the Indian batsmen scored freely, much to the delight of the mostly blind spectators who followed the ball-by-ball commentary via loudspeaker.