Kolkata: Pakistan overcame a sluggish start to post a competitive 118-5 against India in a rain-hit World Twenty20 Super 10 match at Eden Gardens on Saturday.

Put into bat after rain and a wet outfield had reduced the Group Two contest to an 18-overs-a-side game, Pakistan found the going difficult, especially against India's slow bowlers on a prodigiously turning track.

Shoaib Malik (26) and Umar Akmal (22) provided quick runs towards the end to give Pakistan's pace-heavy attack something to defend.

The match between the winners of the first two editions of the tournament was originally scheduled in the picturesque north Indian city of Dharamsala before Pakistan's security fears led to it being moved to Kolkata.

India's captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl first. 

The match at Kolkata's Eden Gardens had been due to start at 7:30pm (1400 GMT) but was delayed for an hour after rain fell through much of the afternoon before relenting at sundown.

Red-hot favourites India were stunned by an unfancied New Zealand on Tuesday when they were shot out for 79 in Nagpur — their lowest score on home turf in T20 Internationals.

On the other hand, Pakistan had come into the tournament in woeful form and their preparations were not helped by a row over security which led to the match being switched from Dharamsala to Kolkata.

But their trouncing of Bangladesh has banished the gloom, with skipper Shahid Afridi leading from the front by spanking a 19-ball 49 and then bagging two key wickets in the 55-run win.

India have never lost to Pakistan in World T20 while Pakistan have never lost to the tournament hosts at the Eden Gardens.

Teams

India: 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah.

Pakistan: 

Shahid Afridi (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Sami. 

Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Richard Kettleborough (ENG) 

TV umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS)

Reserve umpire: Joel Wilson (West Indies)

Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)