Rohit Sharma produced an elegant hundred before Kuldeep Yadav flummoxed the Pakistani batsmen as India inflicted a humiliating 89-run defeat on their arch-rivals in a much-hyped World Cup match, which eventually turned to be a lop-sided affair.
Chasing a stiff 337-run target, Pakistan were already downand out when rain stopped play after 35 overs. They had managed just 166 runsfor loss of six wickets , nowhere nearthe DLS par-score of 252.
When play resumed, the match was reduced to 40 overs with arevised target of 302, which meant that Pakistan required 136 runs from fiveovers.
Imad Wasim (46) and Shadab Khan (20) remained unbeaten toend at 212 for six, handing India a comprehensive victory via Duckworth Lewismethod.
If Rohit pummelled a pedestrian Pakistan attack with abrilliant 140 off 113 balls in India’s 336 for five, Chinaman Yadav (2/32)broke the rival batting spine by removing set batsmen Fakhar Zaman (62) andBabar Azam (48) in successive overs.
The Indian vice-captain scored his 24th ODI hundred – 140off 113 balls while KL Rahul (57) played the perfect second fiddle in anopening partnership of 137 runs.
Skipper Virat Kohli switched gears effortlessly during his77 off 65 balls and also became the quickest to 11,000 ODI runs, eclipsing a17-year record held by iconic Sachin Tendulkar.
This is India’s seventh win over Pakistan in World Cup andlike the previous six times, the quality of the contest did not live up to thehype created.
Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed erred in his decision makingthroughout, first with team selection and then by opting to fieldf. Thedefensive approach throughout the game, also did not help his side.
Knowing that rain could play spoilsport, they never took theDuckworth-Lewis par score into account, letting India bowlers dictate theterms.
It was a match where two wrists — Rohit’s supple wrists andKuldeep’s power — won it for India.
The old adage ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold’ couldn’thave been more apt in cold and wet Manchester evening as ‘Men In Blue’ exactedthe revenge of the 2017 Champions Trophy final defeat.
The first half was all about Rohit pulverising Pakistani bowlers with cuts and pulls while the second belonged to Yadav, who first bamboozled Babar with a break-back delivery and then forced Zaman to play a suicidal paddle shot. This was after their 104 run-stand as Pakistan from 117 for 1 slumped to 129 for 5 in no time and their fans started trudging out of Old Trafford ground. PTI