India thrash Pak in hockey, get outclassed in cricket
With a dominating performance, India beat Pakistan 7-1 to register their third straight win and seal a place in the quarter-finals of the Hockey World League Semi-final on Sunday. India was on the offensive right from the word go and buoyed by Talwinder Singh, Harmanpreet Singh and Akashdeep Singh’s double strikes, India went on to top the table in Pool B.
India got their first goal in the first quarter when Harmanpreet converted a penalty corner. After Pardeep Mor won his team a second Penalty Corner, the drag-flicker Harmanpreet fired in a grounded stroke after a successful injection from Ramandeep to get India the lead. The team went on to double the lead in the second quarter with Talwinder finding the net. After another forward push, SV Sunil took the hit and Talwinder gently pushed the ball inside the goalpost to give India a 2-0 lead in the 21st minute.
It was an altogether different tale in cricket. A dominant Pakistan spanked India by 180 runs in the summit clash of the Champions Trophy, here in London on Sunday.
Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman (114) hit his maiden ODI hundred after being caught off a no-ball in the innings’ fourth over, bowled by Jasprit Bumrah.
Azhar Ali (59), Mohammed Hafeez (57) and Babar Azam (46) also played solid to prop up the Pakistan innings as they put on board 338 for four.
None of the Indian bowlers, except Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/44), could trouble the Pakistani batsmen after Virat Kohli opted to bowl even as the UP pacer was also taken to cleaners towards the end.
Hardik Pandya (76) was the lone Indian batsman who put up some resistance before India folded for 158 in 30.3 overs. Mohammed Amir cleaned up the Indian top-order to pull the rug from under their feet, dismissing Rohit Sharma (0), Virat Kohli (5) and Shikhar Dhawan (21).