India beats archrival Pakistan by 89 runs using the DLS method
Team India achieved their third consecutive ICC Cricket World Cup win after beating archrival Pakistan by 89 runs at Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
India batsman Rohit Sharma and wicket-keeper KL Rahul started the game for the first time in this level with a first wicket-stand of 137 after Pakistan won the toss. This was because regular opener batsman Shikhar Dhawan was sidelined because of a thumb injury when he made a century in their game against Australia.
Sharma got to fifty in just 34 balls with a six over long-on and a cut four, off successive deliveries from Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan. Rahul achieved fifty with a six against Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik. However Rahul fell when the Shaheens’ fast bowler Wahab Riaz struck a ball. Riaz had already received two official warnings in consecutive deliveries for running on the pitch by then.
Meanwhile, Sharma got into the 90s with a square-cut six against the Shaheens’ fast bowler Hasan Ali. Sharma then had his 24th ODI century when he had a single off Khan which got him an 85-ball hundred including three sixes and nine fours.
Team captain Virat Kohli and Sharma had a quickfire stand of 98 against Pakistan which ended quickly when Sharma sent Ali at short fine leg straight to Riaz.
The match was paused for a while when rain started again. It resumed 55 minutes later with no overs lost. Kohli quickly added six more runs to his score before he walked for a catch behind Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed.
However, replays showed Kohli didn’t make contact with the ball when he tried to hook the Shaheen’s fast bowler Mohammad Amir’s delivery.
The match ended with Sharma being awarded player of the match and Kohli became the quickest player to have 11,000 one-day international (ODI) runs during his innings of 77.
Rahul admitted he was nervous about their game against Pakistan because of the thousands of people who were hyped about the match. There were more than 800,000 applications for tickets to watch the match despite the stadium only have a maximum capacity of 26,000 people.
“Conditions haven’t been the best, the wicket has been under covers so we were thinking 280 was a good score. To get over 300 gives us a boost,” said Rahul.
India will play their next match against Afghanistan on Saturday at Rose Bowl Cricket Ground. The Men in Blue currently have +190 odds to win the World Cup trophy.
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