Champions Trophy encounter: Pakistan concedes to India in one-sided contest

Published June 4, 2017
Ravindra Jadeja (C) celebrates with team mates after taking the wicket of Azhar Ali (not pictured).─Reuters
Ravindra Jadeja (C) celebrates with team mates after taking the wicket of Azhar Ali (not pictured).─Reuters
Shadab Khan stands by the boundary as Indian cricket fans cheer for their team.─AP
Shadab Khan stands by the boundary as Indian cricket fans cheer for their team.─AP
Azhar Ali in action during Pakistan and India's clash in the ICC Champions Trophy.─Reuters
Azhar Ali in action during Pakistan and India's clash in the ICC Champions Trophy.─Reuters

Title-holders India came out as the superior side against their arch-rivals, defeating Pakistan by 124 runs in a match marred by rain and sloppy fielding.

The match ended as Hasan Ali returned to the pavillion with no runs scored. Pakistan ended their innings at 164/9 after 33.4 overs with injured last man Wahab Riaz unable to bat as India won with 44 balls to spare.

India had previously piled up 319 for three in 48 overs after Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss, giving their opponents a revised target of 289 owing to the Duckworth–Lewis method.

Rohit Sharma top-scored with 91 and put on 136 for the first wicket with Shikhar Dhawan (68).

India captain Virat Kohli made 81 not out, sharing a quickfire third-wicket stand with Yuvraj Singh (53) as Pakistan paid a heavy price for dropping both batsmen.

India plundered 72 runs in their final four overs as Pakistan's attack wilted.

Fast bowler Muhammad Amir bowls at Edgbaston. ─ Photo courtesy ICC official Twitter
Fast bowler Muhammad Amir bowls at Edgbaston. ─ Photo courtesy ICC official Twitter

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss and opted to bowl first.

India started the game slow with a run rate of just 4.84 in the first powerplay, which the ICC says is the lowest of any side during the tournament so far. Play was temporarily halted for rain 9.5 overs into the match.

Although the pressure for today's match is high, Sarfraz was confident Pakistans' batting has improved.

"It is a good pitch and won't change much. India-Pakistan is a pressure game, hopefully we play as a free game. Our batting is much better," he said.

In an interview yesterday, Sarfraz had said Pakistan will be "playing differently" and spectators would see some "out of the box things".

"We have definitely have a plan... you will see us doing some new things which have not been tried against India before," he said.

The team's fielding, however, leaves much to be desired, with commentators referring to it today as 'sloppy' on more than one occasion since the innings began.

The last time Pakistan defeated India in an ICC tournament was during the 2009 Champions Trophy at Centurion. Since then, India has won all six encounters.

Squads

Pakistan: Azhar Ali, Ahmed Shehzad, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk, c), Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Shadab Khan, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali

India: RG Sharma, S Dhawan, V Kohli (c), Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (wk), KM Jadhav, HH Pandya, RA Jadeja, B Kumar, UT Yadav, JJ Bumrah

Opinion

The Dar story continues

The Dar story continues

One wonders what the rationale was for the foreign minister — a highly demanding, full-time job — being assigned various other political responsibilities.

Editorial

Wheat protests
Updated 01 May, 2024

Wheat protests

The government should withdraw from the wheat trade gradually, replacing the existing market support mechanism with an effective new one over the next several years.
Polio drive
01 May, 2024

Polio drive

THE year’s fourth polio drive has kicked off across Pakistan, with the aim to immunise more than 24m children ...
Workers’ struggle
Updated 01 May, 2024

Workers’ struggle

Yet the struggle to secure a living wage — and decent working conditions — for the toiling masses must continue.
All this talk
Updated 30 Apr, 2024

All this talk

The other parties are equally legitimate stakeholders in the country’s political future, and it must give them due consideration.
Monetary policy
30 Apr, 2024

Monetary policy

ALIGNING its decision with the trend in developed economies, the State Bank has acted wisely by holding its key...
Meaningless appointment
30 Apr, 2024

Meaningless appointment

THE PML-N’s policy of ‘family first’ has once again triggered criticism. The party’s latest move in this...