India beat the mighty Pakistan by six wickets under ICC Champions Trophy, Virat Kohli in the World of This Contest at Dubai International Stadium.
Apart from setting a stunning piece of film, Kohli also smashed an unbroken hundred to help India chase 242 and all but secure the winner the three points necessary to leapfrog Pakistan at the top of the group table.
His consistent field play also earned him a record in the Indian team by taking his 158th ODI catch, apart from his exceptional performance on field in the past few months.
India’s Chase and Virat Kohli Masterclass: ICC Champions Trophy
Pak went on to win by winning the toss and batting first, scoring a 241. India then set about their chase with a swat by Rohit Sharma (20) and captaincy of Shubman Gill (64 Moreover, Shaheen Shah Afridi (2-74) and Abrar Ahmed (1-28) fell on the openers, which brought little composure into the game.
As their overs rolled in, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer (56) came together to provide a sumptuous 114-run partnership that basically sealed the deal for India. Score of 100 not out in his knock coming off 111 balls was a fine balance of aggressive, yet coolness from Kohli.
Iyer offered stupendous back-up by adding a half century to breathe in relief. India managed 244-4 in 42.3 overs; and the opposition got nowhere near their target.
Related: Pakistan Vs New Zealand: Babar Azam slammed as ‘selfish’ after 60 run loss
Pakistan’s Innings and India’s Bowling Attack
Before the day began, Pakistan were largely propped up by Saud Shakeel (62) who gave a dominant performance against the Indian set of bowlers.
After sharing a 104-run stand with the in-form captain Muhammad Rizwan (46), Heaver brought some middle-order balance.
However the Indian bowlers kept mounting a constant pressure by getting wickets at regular intervals.
Kuldeep Yadav (3-40) bowled well and bagged two crucial wickets in a row to change the momentum in India’s favour.
The Pakistan fielding again stepped up a notch to add to Indian bowling, meeting 241 for the last wicket and with two balls remaining as a part of Indian Team.
Champions Trophy Group Stage Scenario
India claimed this victory to take top of Group A with 4 points and also as favourites in the tournament so far.
On the flip side Pakistan are at the bottom of their group after losing their first game to New Zealand as well. They have little chance of making it to the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Pakistan plays against Bangladesh in a must-win game on 27th February and India will face New Zealand in a must-win clash on 2 March. Every match will matter a lot in the fateful Group A final standings.
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