India’s Cricket World Cup domination of Pakistan continued on Sunday with a rain-affected 89-run DLS victory at Old Trafford.
The result in Manchester made it seven wins in seven World Cup meetings for India against their rivals.
In front of a raucous Manchester crowd India got off to a great start as openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma put on 136 for the first wicket, and India looked set for a mammoth total.
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But despite Rohit’s fine 140 off 113 balls and 77 from captain Virat Kohli, India never completely cut loose and eventually posted 336-5 – a daunting but not impossible target.
There was also controversy as Kohli walked believing he had edged a Mohammed Amir bouncer, only for replays to show there had been no contact with the bat.
Pakistan began steadily, and appeared to get a stroke of luck when Bhuvneshwar Kumar pulled up lame in his third over. However, the first ball from Vijay Shankar, who replaced him, trapped opener Imam-ul-Haq LBW.
Pakistan regrouped and while the required run-rate began to soar there was always hope with Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam at the crease.
However, when Kuldeep Yadav removed both in the space of three balls the match turned decisively. The game was up as Pakistan were then reduced to 129-5 in the 27th over as Hardik Pandya took two in two balls.
Rain intervened and the ensuing hold up meant that the inevitable was delayed and India’s eventual victory, via DLS, was something of a damp squib.
India set down a marker
“This was the marquee game of this World Cup - a sell-out crowd, one billion TV viewers and more than 800,000 ticket requests, but it ended with Pakistan knocking the ball around in front of a half-empty stadium,” says Amy Lofthouse of the BBC.
“Play looked to be done when rain arrived at 18:20 BST, but it resumed 55 minutes later and with 15 minutes to go before the scheduled cut-off time. India’s batting lit up the morning but, with rain falling and Pakistan’s innings crumbling, it was a tame end to a match that promised plenty.”
Despite the odd climax, India have set down a marker says The Daily Telegraph: “It was always impossible for this game to live up to the hype but there is no question that India are matching expectations at the World Cup.
“They were too powerful, too ruthless and too composed for Pakistan… Only England boast India’s strength but can their players show the same nerve under pressure?
“India were so steely and focussed against Pakistan that this could have been any old one-day international rather than one of the world’s great sporting contests.”
India’s next World Cup match is against Afghanistan on Saturday 22 June in Southampton (10.30am BST) while Pakistan take on South Africa at Lord’s on Sunday 23 June (10.30am).
How Twitter reacted to India’s victory
Cricket World Cup fixtures
All matches are live on Sky Sports:
- Monday 17 June: West Indies vs. Bangladesh (10.30am)
- Tuesday 18 June: England vs. Afghanistan (10.30am)
- Wednesday 19 June: New Zealand vs. South Africa (10.30am)
- Thursday 20 June: Australia vs. Bangladesh (10.30am)
- Friday 21 June: England vs. Sri Lanka (10.30am)
- Saturday 22 June: India vs. Afghanistan (10.30am)
- Sunday 23 June: Pakistan vs. South Africa (10.30am)
- Monday 24 June: Bangladesh vs. Afghanistan (10.30am)
- Tuesday 25 June: England vs. Australia (10.30am)
- Wednesday 26 June: New Zealand vs. Pakistan (10.30am)
- Thursday 27 June: West Indies vs. India (10.30am)
- Friday 28 June: Sri Lanka vs. South Africa (10.30am)
- Saturday 29 June: Pakistan vs. Afghanistan (10.30am); New Zealand vs. Australia (1.30pm)
- Sunday 30 June: England vs. India (10.30am)
- See the full fixture list at cricketworldcup.com
