Virat Kohli scored his 51st One-Day International (ODI) century as India convincingly defeated Pakistan in a crucial ICC Champions Trophy opener at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
With two to-back losses, Pakistan are on the verge of being knocked out of the tournament.
Captain Rohit Sharma, 20 off 15 balls, took charge early in the 242-run target, smashing three fours and a six before being bowled by Shaheen Afridi in the fifth over.
His wicket did not change India’s approach as both Shubman Gill and the newcomer Virat Kohli continued to play their shots freely,
The duo built a 69-run partnership for the second wicket, taking India to 100/2 in 17.3 overs.
Abrar Ahmed struck right after the drinks break, removing in-form Shubman Gill for 46.
Shreyas Iyer walked in and built a match-winning 114-run partnership with experienced campaigner Virat Kohli to further minimise Pakistan’s chances.
Wickets at regular intervals were the key for Pakistan, but they failed to do so. Two drop catches, of Gill and Shreyas, added to Pakistan’s woes, as India marched past the target in 42.3 overs.
Earlier, Pakistan opted to bat first on a slower track. The decision did not work in their favour as Indian spinners folded Pakistan for 241 runs in 49.4 overs.
Pakistan started the innings cautiously before Babar Azam took charge. He looked in fine touch, scoring five boundaries in his 23-run innings.
However, his promising start was cut short in the eighth over when he chased a delivery outside off from Hardik Pandya and was caught. His partner Imam-ul-Haq took a suicidal run and got run out, thanks to a direct hit from Axar Patel, in the very next over.
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Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel slowed down the scoring rate. They took their time and built a 103-run stand for the third wicket before losing the plot. The next three wickets fell in quick succession, with Rizwan (46), Saud (62), and Tayyab Tahir (4) falling within the span of 17 balls. Pakistan slipped from 153/2 to 159/4.
Salman Ali Agha and Khushdil Shah added 35 runs for the sixth wicket before getting caught for his 19. Shaheen Afridi returned to the pavilion without disturbing the scorers as Pakistan found themselves reeling at 200/7 in 43 overs.
The left-arm chinaman struck again in his 9th over to send Naseem Shah (14) back. Khushdil Shah struck a couple of sixes in the death overs before getting out in the 50th over as Pakistan were all out for 241 in 49.4 overs.
WICKET! Hardik’s strangled down the leg. Shaheen has his second wicket.
Shaheen has now conceded 59 runs in 6.3 overs.
Newcomer Hardik Pandya welcomes Shaheen Afridi with a boundary.
Just one run from Abrar’s ninth over.
50 for Shreyas Iyer in 63 balls.
DROPPED! This time it was Saud Shakeel at the short mid-wicket, who could not hold on to it. It was a tough chance though.
Back-to-back boundaries for Shreyas Iyer.
Two runs from this over.
WICKET: Abrar Ahmed clean bowls Shubman Gill (46) with a peach of a delivery.
100 up for India.
Shaheen continues.
8 runs from this over.
FOUR! Shaheen tries a wide yorker, but Gill creams it through extra cover.
FOUR! Shubman Gill charges an outside off delivery and drags an inside edge past leg stump.
SIX! Rohit launches this one over a square-leg boundary for a maximum.
FOUR! Rohit opens his account. It is a top-edge but goes over cover for a four.
WICKET: Harshit Rana is finally rewarded for his brilliant bowling. He gets an important wicket of Khushdil Shah in the final over.
Harshit Rana disguises slower ones very cleverly and beats Khushdil again.
Three back-to-back dot balls from Harshit
Khushdil is on strike.
WICKET! Haris Rauf tries to steal a double but fails to make it.
SIX! This time Haris Rauf pulls Shami for another big six.
SIX! Khushdil Shah welcomes Shami with a maximum.
Harshit Rana is back in the attack.
FOUR: Naseem Shah scores his first boundary, which came off an outside edge.
WICKET: Two wickets in two balls for Kuldeep. He traps Shaheen Afridi before the wicket for a duck.
WICKET: Salman Ali Agha departs for 24-ball 19.
200 is up for Pakistan in 43rd over.
Kuldeep continues.
There is an LBW appeal as Khushdil Shah misses a reverse sweep. India take review, but the umpire’s call saves Khushdil.
5 runs from this over.
WICKET: Jadeja clean bowls Tayyab Tahir for 4.
Pakistan lose three wickets in quick succession.
WICKET: Saud Shakeel holes this one to deep midwicket. He departs for 62 runs from 76 balls. Pakistan are four down with both set batters out.
FOUR: Saud Shakeel pulls Hardik Pandya for a boundary.
Saud Shakeel gets a life as Kuldeep Yadav drops him at mid-on.
WICKET: Axar Patel clean bowls Rizwan. He departs for 46 off 77 balls.
Rizwan skies this one, but Harshit Rana drops this one.
100-run partnership between Rizwan and Saud Shakeel in 142 balls.
Hardik Pandya is back in the attack.
He starts off with a wide.
No six from Pakistan in 32 overs.
Axar Patel continues.
Three singles and a double from this over.
Rizwan sweeps Jadeja hard for a four. First boundary since the 10th over.
6 runs from it.
Axar Patel is back in the attack.
Saud Shakeel paddled sweep his first ball for a boundary.
7 runs from this over.
Shami streams in, and bowls another tidy over.
Just two singles from this one.
Hardik continues.
Just one run from it.
Mohammed Shami is back.
Three singles from it.
Big Wicket for India. Babar Azam departs for 23 off 25 balls.
Babar edge and taken by KL Rahul behind the wicket!
Babar laces this half volley from Pandya through the covers.
That’s his fifth boundary.
Another tight over.
Harshit Rana gives away just one run, and that too came off a wide.
Babar Azam struck the first two boundaries of the innings.
Babar showcased his class, ready to dominate.
He expertly split the field on both occasions.
Indian seamer Harshit Rana bowled the second over.He conceded four runs in the over.
Babar Azam scored two runs off his bat to start Pakistan’s innings, while Imam took a single.
A wide delivery added an extra run to the total.
Imam takes a single.
Mohammad Shami started loosely, bowling five wides in the first over.
Imam-ul-Haq, who replaced the injured Fakhar Zaman, came out to open the innings with Babar Azam.
Speaking at the toss, Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan said that the wicket looked favourable for batting, which is why he decided to bat first.
“Just one forced change. Imam-ul-Haq replaces injured Fakhar Zaman,” he confirmed.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said the surface looked on the slower side.
“We are going in with the same team that did the duty against Bangladesh.”
Pakistan XI: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.
Buoyant India, beleaguered Pakistan clash in Champions Trophy blockbuster
India XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Harshit Rana.
