Clinical India demolishes intent-less Pak

Even before the match, which was being termed as the biggest encounter of the tournament, began, Pakistan Captain Sarfaraz Khan had ‘cleared’ that the Pakistan team is “the number eight ranked” team and that they had nothing to lose. The side performed exactly like a number eight ranked team, with nothing to lose and no intent to win.

Pakistan began the match on a high when they won the toss and they chose to field. With rain-interruptions expected, Pakistan had the upper hand as they would bat second and would have had a target to chase. The toss, however, proved to be the only thing Pakistan won in the match. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, piled up a 100-run partnership, similar to what they had scored against South Africa in the opening match of the 2013 Champions Trophy.

India, on the back of solid innings from Rohit Sharma (91 of 119 balls) and Shikhar Dhawan (68 of 65 balls), started cautiously. Virat Kohli (81 of 68 balls) struggled in the beginning but a quick-fire 53 (32 balls) by the man-of-the-match Yuvraj Singh eased the pressure on Kohli for scoring quick runs. The vintage Yuvraj returned to Edgbaston as the southpaw racked up second fastest 50 in an India-Pakistan game of 29 balls; Virendra Sehwag holds the record of 26 deliveries. Virat scored 81 of just 68 deliveries and along with Hardik Pandya, who was sent ahead of MS Dhoni, finished the Indian innings with a healthy total of 319 in 48 overs. Pandya (20 of 6 balls) smoked three consecutive sixes of the first three balls of the final over and the ploy of sending him ahead of, arguably, the best finisher worked.

Pakistan chase began with the return of rains in the fifth over of the Pak innings. When the rain stopped, Pakistan was given a revised target of 289 in 41 overs but when the players returned to the pitch, none of them could get to grips with the Indian bowlers. The Pakistani batsmen clearly gave up to the scoreboard pressure. Shoaib Malik came with an intent to win. He, however, was undone by a Ravindra Jadeja master-class in the field. After Malik’s run out, only formalities were left which were finished in the 34th over when Umesh Yadav accounted for Hasan Ali, Pakistan’s last batsman as Wahab Riaz was absent hurt.

Brief Score:

India 319-8 (48): Rohit Sharma (91 of 119), Virat Kohli (81 of 68), Shikhar Dhawan (68 of 65), Yuvraj Singh (53 of 32); Hasan Ali (10-0-70-1), Shadab Khan (10-0-52-1) defeats Pakistan 164-10 (33.4): Azhar Ali (50 of 65), Mohammad Hafeez (33 of 43); U Yadav (7.4-1-30-3), H Pandya (8-0-43-2) By 124 runs (Duckworth-Lewis method).