India successfully defended a small total to beat rival Pakistan by six runs in a low-scoring cricket thriller on Sunday and maintain a perfect record at this year's Twenty20 World Cup.

After being shocked by co-host USA in the Super Over at Dallas on Thursday, Pakistan recovered well to dismiss India for 119 in 19 overs on another tricky wicket at Long Island's Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. Rain had delayed the start by around 50 minutes.

Pakistan stuttered to 113-7 in 20 overs in reply against a menacing pace attack led by Jasprit Bumrah, who finished with match-winning figures of 3-14 in four overs.

"We were looking at 140, but nevertheless the bowlers did the job," India's skipper Rohit Sharma said.

"At the halfway stage we got together and said if things can happen to us, they can happen to them too. … Bumrah is going from strength to strength. I'm not going to talk too much about him, we want him to be in that kind of mindset till the end of this World Cup, he's a genius with the ball."

Pakistan appeared to be cruising at 80-3 in 14 overs but Bumrah then had Pakistan top-scorer Mohammad Rizwan clean bowled for 31 and Iftikhar Ahmed holed out in the deep off the last ball of a terrific spell. Pakistan middle-order batters were squeezed so much in the death overs that they could hit only two boundaries off the final six overs.

Needing 18 off the final over, Naseem Shah (10 not out) smashed Arshdeep Singh for two boundaries before he left the field with tears in his eyes and was consoled by his batting partner Shaheen Shah Afridi as Pakistan lost their second successive Group A game.

India beat Ireland by eight wickets in their opening game at the same ground and lead a group that also features Canada. India and the USA have four points – India are top thanks to a better net-run rate.

After two successive losses, Pakistan need to win their remaining two games against Canada and Ireland and also hope results of other group games go in their favor to progress to the second stage of the tournament. Two teams advance from each group.

″We played too many dot balls and the pressure was on us," Pakistan's captain Babar Azam said. "You can't expect too much from tailenders. We were not up to the mark in the first six overs, we had targeted 40-45 runs, but we couldn't capitalize properly."