INDIA THRASH PAKISTAN IN RAIN-AFFECTED MATCH:
Kohli, Yuvraj’s quickfire 50s lead the way at Edgbaston
INDIA captain Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh made Pakistan pay for fluffing catches with quickfire fifties as the holders launched their Champions Trophy title-defence with a rain-affected 124-run thrashing of their arch-rivals at Edgbaston yesterday.
After India made 319/3 in 48 overs, the third rain stoppage of the match left Pakistan with a revised target of 289 in 41 overs when play resumed in bright sunshine.
But Pakistan, rarely up with the stiff run-rate, finished on 164/9, with injured last man Wahab Riaz unable to bat, as India won with 44 balls to spare.
Kohli was equally contemptuous of Pakistan’s attack during a blistering innings of 81 not out, off just 68 balls that included six fours and three sixes.
Left-hander Yuvraj, named manof-the-match smashed a rapid 53, while helping Kohli add 93 for the third wicket in just 59 balls.
That was not the end of the run spree, with Hardik Pandya hitting sixes off the first three balls of left-arm spinner Imad Wasim’s last over of the innings.
India smashed 72 off their final four overs as Pakistan’s attack wilted. Rohit Sharma (91) and Shikhar Dhawan (68) laid the platform with an opening stand of 136.
Mohammad Amir was the pick of Pakistan’s attack with 0/32 in 8.1 overs.
But fellow left-arm fast bowler Riaz was hugely expensive, his wicketless 8.4 overs costing 87 runs.
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed had earlier won the toss in the teams’ opening Group B match.
Pakistan were donated a wicket, however, when Dhawan hoisted a full toss from teenage legspinner, Shadab Khan, straight to Azhar at deep midwicket.
Sharma, in eyeing what would have been his 11th ODI hundred, was run out when he just failed to beat Babar Azam’s throw to wicket-keeper Ahmed after Kohli’s call for a tight single.
It was the end of a 119-ball innings featuring two sixes and seven fours.
Hasan Ali eventually had Yuvraj lbw on review but by then the damage had been done.
Kohli had made 43 when he was missed by substitute Fakhar Zaman, who could not hold a top-edged hook off Riaz.
A blizzard of boundaries followed, with Kohli flat-batting Hasan down the ground for six to complete his 50.
In their innings, Pakistan saw Azhar Ali make exactly 50 in 65 balls with six fours.
Azhar was caught at deep square leg by Pandya, trying to hit left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja for six.
New batsman Shoaib Malik did loft Jadeja for a straight six.
But Jadeja had his revenge, by running Malik out with a direct hit from backward point to leave Pakistan all but out of the game at 114/4 in the 24th over.
Umesh Yadav (3/30) ended the match when Hasan fell for a duck.