Virat Kohli: “The template has been nice in the first three games: Rohit was outstanding. He showed why he is a good ODI player once again. I am happy playing my role and the other guys are doing their job. It’s going really well as a team. Kuldeep’s ball to get Babar Azam was outstanding. There was turn and drift. We never approach this game [India-Pakistan] as something too emotional.
“Otherwise, things can go haywire. Pakistan outplayed us in the Champions Trophy final. Bhuvneshwar will be out for a maximum of three games. He has a little bit of a niggle and it doesn’t look that serious. Shami is fit and raring to go.”
Sarfaraz Ahmed: “We didn’t capitalise after winning the toss. We didn’t hit the right areas. We picked two spinners because the ball was turning. India played the middle-overs very well. Credit to Rohit, he played very well. It’s tough but hopefully, we will bounce back.”
Spare a thought for Pakistan, who were abject in all three departments. There will be plenty of scrutiny over this performance and a place in the top-four now looks a million miles away; they are second from the bottom in the points table.
Rohit Sharma, Player of the Match: “I misjudged the ball when I got out. I was not thinking about a double hundred. I got out at the wrong time and we were looking to kill the game at the time. KL Rahul played very well. He saw off the new ball. We knew the opening spell was going to be threatening.”
INDIA WIN BY 89 RUNS
India register the biggest win in terms of runs in encounters between the two teams. Pandya bowled the last over of the match, which yielded four runs. India are unbeaten in SEVEN World Cup matches against Pakistan. Everything went badly from the toss for Sarfaraz Ahmed and Co. Rohit Sharma’s World Cup keeps getting better and better. Virat Kohli is slowly finding his stride and had yet another classy half-century to his name. KL Rahul played a good hand at the top of the order. India’s bowlers came to the party in a big way. Everyone chipped in with wickets.
Pakistan 208/6 in 39 overs – Imad Wasim 44, Shadab Khan 18
There was an incorrect no-ball call from umpire Oxenford. The runs are coming thick and fast for Pakistan at this point with Washim and Shadab going hell for leather. The Indian fielders are running through the motions here.
Pakistan 196/6 in 38 overs – Imad Wasim 34, Shadab Khan 17
Dropped! KL Rahul runs in from deep mid-square and spoons a sitter off Chahal. Fourteen runs off the over. There is a bit of sloppiness on the field by the Indians, who are running down the clock at this point.
Pakistan 182/6 in 37 overs – Imad Wasim 27, Shadab Khan 7
No risks taken by Bumrah; he is taking a shorter run up now and ten comes off the over. Shadab hit a powerful straight drive in the last ball of the over. Too little, too late.
Pakistan 172/6 in 36 overs – Imad Wasim 24, Shadab Khan 4
Chahal bowls the first over after the rain break and the Pakistan duo throw the kitchen sink at it. They get only singles, though. Every run is cheered by the people who decided to stay back. The stands are half empty at this point.
The players are back on the field. Bowlers can bowl a maximum of eight overs.
11:28 pm: UPDATE - Play resumes at 11:40 IST. It will be a 40-over contest. The revised target is 302.
11:20 pm: The covers are starting to come off and it’s good news for the fans who decided to stay back. There are a lot of empty seats in the stands. Presumably, some of the Pakistan spectators might have taken the exit.
11:07 pm: The stadium is reportedly emptying. The light is not great. Pakistan are well behind on DRS. Another hour of no play will mean overs getting deducted.
The duckworth/lewis par score at this stage 252. Pakistan are 86 behind.
RAIN STOPS PLAY
Pakistan are 166/6 in 35 overs. The umbrellas are out and the players walk back to the field. It will come as no surprise that the Indian camp are all smiles. Pakistan have a mountain to climb. The good news is that there is no heavy downpour in Manchester.
Pakistan 165/6 in 34.1 overs – Sarfaraz Ahmed out!
Another tame dismissal for Pakistan. Bat-pad and the ball clips the leg stump and Vijay Shankar gets his second. Sarfaraz Ahmed never looked comfortable at the crease.
S Ahmed b V Shankar 12 (30)
Pakistan 165/5 in 34 overs – Sarfaraz Ahmed 12, Imad Wasim 22
Imad Wasim hammers a full toss down the ground for a boundary off Bumrah. The pacer goes full during the rest of the over, which gives them four singles.
Pakistan 157/5 in 33 overs – Sarfaraz Ahmed 11, Imad Wasim 16
A good over from Vijay Shankar. The right-arm medium-pacer keeps a tight line and concedes just three runs in his fourth over. The Pakistani innings isn’t going anywhere at the moment.
Pakistan 154/5 in 32 overs – Sarfaraz Ahmed 10, Imad Wasim 15
Shot! Jasprit Bumrah pitches it short and Imad Wasim pulls it hard to earn a welcome boundary for Pakistan. Eight runs come from the right-arm pacer’s fifth over.
Pakistan 146/5 in 31 overs – Sarfaraz Ahmed 8, Imad Wasim 9
The batsmen pinch singles from every ball of Pandya’s seventh over. The chase is slowly but surely losing steam at the moment. Just to make matters worse for Pakistan, Bumrah is brought back into the attack.
Pakistan 140/5 in 30 overs – Sarfaraz Ahmed 5, Imad Wasim 6
Pandya is getting some pace and is nearly getting it move at 90 clicks. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav has just completed his ninth over and continues to catch batsmen in two minds. He is getting solid turn off the rough.
Pakistan 132/5 in 28 overs – Sarfaraz Ahmed 2, Imad Wasim 1
The brakes are on. Just three runs from the over. Kuldeep continues to get prodigious turn. It’s left to Sarfaraz to take the team home.
Pakistan 129/5 in 27 overs – Shoaib Malik out!
Four quick wickets for India and that might have just sealed the game. Malik prodded at it and the ball clipped his bat, ball and nicked the stumps. Pandya on a hat-trick and India are on fire.
S Malik b Pandya 0 (1)
Pakistan 129/4 in 26.5 overs – Hafeez out!
Everything working for India here as Hafeez also disappears. Yet another poor shot. Full ball pitched on leg and the veteran’s flick goes straight to Vijay Shankar at deep mid-wicket. They are crumbling, Pakistan. India are on top.
M Hafeez c Vijay Shankar b H Pandya 9 (7)
Pakistan 126/3 in 25.3 overs – Zaman out!
Poor shot from Zaman and India have a double break here. Pakistan have a mountain to climb. The left-hander tried to paddle it to fine leg, gets a top edge and it is a simple catch for Chahal. The Indians are cock-a-hoop.
F Zaman c Chahal b Kuldeep Yadav 62 (75)
Pakistan 126/2 in 25 overs – Zaman 62, Hafeez 7
Hafeez knocks one out of the park with a massive hit off Chahal. Looks like the former captain is not going to hang back at the crease. Pakistan need big overs.
Pakistan 117/2 in 24 overs – Babar Azam out!
What a delivery! Kuldeep goes on a Imran Tahir-like run with a brilliant leg-spinner that pitched outside off and spun back in by a mile. Easily one of the best dismissals of his career and it has come at a crucial time for India. There might have been an inside edge of Babar’s bat.
B Azam b Kuldeep Yadav 48 (57)
Pakistan 113/1 in 23 overs – Fakhar Zaman 58, Babar Azam 46
Babar sweeps the ball over deep mid-wicket for a huge six. One of the best hits we have seen all evening. Ten from the Chahal over. They are looking good and the duo have also brought up their 100-run partnership.
Pakistan 103/1 in 22 overs – Fakhar Zaman 51, Babar Azam 35
Zaman goes for the slog sweep once again and gets a boundary this time. Pakistan have crossed the 100-run mark. Signs of the batsmen stepping on the accelerator for Pakistan. They need big overs, though.
Pakistan 95/1 in 22 overs – Fakhar Zaman 51 Babar Azam 35
Zaman completes his fifty with a six over deep mid-wicket. The ball, just about managed to scale over the two fielders in the deep. Chahal, though, comes back well in the over.
Pakistan 87/1 in 21 overs – Fakhar Zaman 44, Babar Azam 34
There is turn on offer for Kuldeep and the batsmen withdraw into a shell once again. Just a single from the over. India thought they had Zaman stumped in the over but the left-hander had just about dragged his foot back on time.
Pakistan 86/1 in 19 overs – Fakhar Zaman 43, Babar Azam 34
Another economical over Chahal with just two runs coming off it. There was a big shout for leg-before off Babar but the umpire turns it down. Replays showed that it was a bat-pad.
Pakistan 84/1 in 18 overs – Fakhar Zaman 42, Babar Azam 33
Kuldeep Yadav is on target again and the batsmen are forced to make room. Five from the over. One suspects that the batsmen are happy taking ones and twos at the moment. They need a little more that that.
Pakistan 79/1 in 17 overs – Fakhar Zaman 40, Babar Azam 30
Tidy start for Chahal, four runs from the over. Zaman was trying to paddle the ball on the leg side with turn on offer into the batsmen. This will be a crucial passage in play for both teams.
Chahal comes into the attack
Pakistan 75/1 in 16 overs – Fakhar Zaman 37, Babar Azam 28
Slightly short from Pandya and Zaman pulls it away in front of square for a boundary. Easily the best we have seen so far from the Pakistan batsmen. He follows that up with a thick edge that reaches the third man fence. 11 from the over and Kohli is seen having a chat with the India all-rounder.
Pakistan 64/1 in 15 overs – Fakhar Zaman 28, Babar Azam 27
Drinks taken and Zaman finally cuts lose with a streaky cut shot, which yielded three runs. Six runs from the over. Pakistan need to step on the accelerator now.
Pakistan 58/1 in 14 overs – Fakhar Zaman 24, Babar Azam 25
Seven from the over. Zaman guided a slow bouncer from Pandya to the boundary but Pandya dragged back his length a bit in the over and restricted the batsmen to singles.
Pakistan 51/1 in 13 overs – Fakhar Zaman 19, Babar Azam 23
Just a couple of runs from Kuldeep Yadav’s first over. The left-arm spinner was slower in the air and didn’t offer any room outside off. The required run rate continues to climb.
Update: Bhuvneshwar Kumar will not take the field in this match.
Pakistan 49/1 in 12 overs – Fakhar Zaman 18, Babar Azam 22
Good over that for Pakistan with eight coming from it. Babar is timing it sweetly and for once, the right-hander places it behind point and the ball hits the fence. Pakistan need a lot more of this.
Pakistan 41/1 in 11 overs – Fakhar Zaman 17, Babar Azam 15
India are giving nothing away on the field. Just three from the over. The boundaries are still hard to come by for Pakistan, who need some big overs.
Pakistan 38/1 in 10 overs – Fakhar Zaman 16, Babar Azam 13
Vijay Shankar continues and there is still no intent on the batsmen taking on the two medium-pacers. Just four from the over. The pressure is building.
Update: Shami comes out with a message for Kohli... an update on Bhuvi’s hamstring being passed on from the physio to the captain. We await details on the extent of the injury
Pakistan 34/1 in 9 overs – Fakhar Zaman 15, Babar Azam 11
Crisp cover driver from Babar off Pandya as Pakistan get another boundary. Good comeback from the India all-rounder in the over. However, Zaman missed an opportunity to go big in the final ball. The ball rapped on his pads but is was missing leg. India opt against appealing for that one.
Hardik Pandya is brought on.
Pakistan 29/1 in 8 overs – Fakhar Zaman 15, Babar Azam 6
Bumrah ends the over with a wayward one drifting down the leg side. Zaman clips it away for a boundary. It looked like the Indian pacer would have a maiden to his name. He beat the left-hander, shaping it away just outside off-stump.
Pakistan 25/1 in 7 overs – Fakhar Zaman 11, Babar Azam 6
A few hittable deliveries outside off stump from Vijay Shankar but Babar is not able to clear in the infield. One boundary from the over but the Indian fielders inside the ring do the rest.
Pakistan 20/1 in 6 overs – Fakhar Zaman 6, Babar Azam 6
There are three slips in place for Babar Azam. The batsmen are not trying to chase anything outside off. Just as we type that, Azam crunches of the backfoot as Bumrah hurls one short and wide. Four runs.
Pakistan 13/1 in 4.5 overs – Imam-ul-Haq out!
Incredible scenes in Manchester! Bhuvneshwar Kumar hobbles off the field after landing awkwardly on his delivery stride. Vijay Shankar is handed the ball and traps Imam in front. The batsman consults his partner but opts against taking the review. What a start for Vijay Shankar.
Imam-ul-Haq lbw b Vijay Shankar 7 (18)
Pakistan 13/0 in 4 overs – Imam-ul-Haq 7, Fakhar Zaman 5
This time, Zaman is well beaten outside off with a peach from Bumrah. Just one run from the over. Pakistan are trying to see off the new ball but the Indian pacers are on target so far.
Pakistan 12/0 in 3 overs – Imam-ul-Haq 5, Fakhar Zaman 6
Bhuvneshwar Kumar continues to get plenty of shape and Imam is once again beaten outside off. The fifth ball of the over is slightly over-pitched and Imam rolls his wrists over it. Pakistan get their second boundary.
Pakistan 6/0 in 2 overs – Imam-ul-Haq 1, Fakhar Zaman 5
Full-toss wide outside off by Bumrah and Zaman crashes it through point for a boundary but the pacer comes back well by angling it away in the next delivery. Two more dot balls to end the over.
Pakistan 2/0 in 1 Over – Imam-ul-Haq 1, Fakhar Zaman 1
Bhuvneshwar Kumar gives nothing away and tries to shape it away from the left-handers. Imam is beaten in the final ball of the over. Neat start for India, just two from the over.
7:59 pm: Imam-ul-Haq takes strike. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the ball in his hand and there are two slips in place.
7:55 pm: I̶t̶’̶s̶ ̶r̶a̶i̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶g̶a̶i̶n̶ ̶ It’s sunny as well. The players walk off briefly but they are back on. The covers came on and now they are off and it’s greeted with cheers from the crowd.
7:47 pm: The Indian players are making their way to the field. So, there won’t be any delay because of rain. There is a huge grey cloud over above the ground and the umbrellas are still up.
7:40 pm: The rain has stopped and it is bright and sunny again. The covers are still on.
KL Rahul speaks: It has been a while since I opened the batting in a One-Day International. Bit of nerves but happy that I could get the team off to a start like that. We know that with Pakistan, the initial threat is Amir and Hasan Ali who can seam the ball a little bit. It was important for us to be smart and play out the first 10 overs. I am happy I did that.
IT IS RAINING AGAIN
Well, well....the umbrellas are out again. Let’s hope play resumes soon. The covers are back on the field.
Review: India managed to get only 38 runs from the last five overs. Kohli’s dismissal is something that will come up again. There was no edge going by the snick-o-meter and the India captain didn’t wait for the umpire’s decision. Pandya and Dhoni were dismissed in quick succession as well. India could have had 20 more on the board but with their formidable bowling attack, the Men in Blue should be fancying their chances.
INDIA FINISH AT 336/5 in 50 OVERS
Nine runs from the final over, which was bowled by Amir. The left-armer was the pick of the bowlers by a mile, finishing with excellent figures of 10-1-47-3. Vijay Shankar creamed a fuller, wide delivery from Amir and got a boundary. Nine from the over.
India 327/5 in 49 overs – Vijay Shankar 9, Kedar Jadhav 7
Wahab Riaz has lost his way and bowls two wayward wides in the over. Jadhav, meanwhile, uses the long handle and just about manages to clear mid-off. Speaking of handles, the snick-o-meter shows that there was no edge on Kohli’s bat. The India captain is seething in the dressing room. Did his handle come lose there?
India 314/5 in 47.4 overs – Virat Kohli out!
Amir gets his man. That was a peach of a bouncer from the left-armer and it’s a safe catch for Sarfaraz. Kohli doesn’t wait for the umpire to raise his finger. This has been a decent fightback by the men in green. And Amir, once again, has been exceptional.
Virat Kohli c Sarfaraz b Amir 77 (65)
India 311/4 in 47 overs – Virat Kohli 75, Vijay Shankar 4
Classy from Kohli in the final ball of the over to run a slow ball down to the third-man fence. The run-scoring continues.
7:07 pm: Vijay Shankar to take strike. Wahab Riaz has the ball in his hand. We are back.
7.05 pm: With no overs lost, there will be a 15-minute break between innings. One just has to hope we get enough time to complete at least 20 overs in the remaining part of the day because the washout doesn’t help.
7.03 pm: Lights will be on, according to reports.
7.00 pm: BETTER NEWS - play to restart at 7.10 pm! NO OVERS LOST.
6.57 pm: The umpires have checked a few patches on the outfield after all the covers have come off (why they don’t cover the entire ground is beyond us at this point!)
6.47 pm:
6.43 pm: GOOD NEWS!
6.38 pm: Well, that’s better news.
6.37 pm: The forecast for rest of the day... does not look good, folks.
Possible targets for Pakistan
| Overs | Target |
|---|---|
| 40 | 298 |
| 35 | 272 |
| 30 | 245 |
| 25 | 215 |
| 20 | 184 |
6:26 pm: Reports coming in state that it is just a passing shower and there is enough time before we start to lose overs. Let’s hope it clears up quickly but it looks pretty gloomy at Manchester at the moment. The weather forecast isn’t great either.
6:17 pm: It’s raining heavily now and the wait continues. It has been a familiar sight for us over the past couple of weeks. No announcement on the number of overs we would lose yet.
RAIN STOPS PLAY
The umbrellas are out in Manchester as the clouds open up. Just before the players walked out off the field, Vijay Shankar successfully appealed for a review after he was given out. Replays showed that there was no spike on the snick-o-meter.
India 302/4 in 46 overs – Virat Kohli 70, Vijay Shankar 1
A classic Kohli dab and scramble for a couple as India cross 300. Vijay Shankar, in ahead of Jadhav, is off the mark too.
India 298/4 in 45.1 overs – MS Dhoni out!
Dhoni goes and the Indians fans are stunned into silence. Wide and full from Amir and Dhoni nicks it to the keeper and makes the long walk back.
MS Dhoni c Sarfaraz b Amir 1 (2)
India 298/3 in 45 overs – Virat Kohli 67, MS Dhoni 1
Hasan Ali’s is operating at a comfortable length for Kohli. Two deliveries angled on leg-stump and that was clipped away to the fine-leg fence with ease. Another expensive over with a dozen coming off it.
India 285/3 in 43.5 overs – Hardik Pandya out!
That was too close for comfort. Pandya had just muscled Amir to the cover boundary. Here, he tries to deploy the ‘helicopter shot’ from a full delivery on leg. Simple catch to Babar Azam at long on.
Hardik Pandya c Babar Azam b Amir 26 (19)
India 274/2 in 43 overs – Virat Kohli 48, Hardik Pandya 22
Everything going India’s way. Pandya mistimed a full and wide delivery, got a top edge, and the ball sailed over the ropes for a six. While Ali beat Pandya with a slower ball and an inswinger, it was sandwiched between two ordinary deliveries as well. A rank full-toss was dispatched to the fine-leg boundary for another four. 13 from the over.
India 261/2 in 42 overs – Virat Kohli 47, Hardik Pandya 10
Crunching lofted cover-drive from Kohli. Stunning shot to bring up another boundary and the India captain has shifted gears. Pakistan are struggling on the field a notch though, allowing Kohli and Pandya to rotate strike at a strikingly easy pace.
India 254/2 in 41 overs – Virat Kohli 41, Hardik Pandya 7
The signs are there already. Pandya was moving across to deploy his version of the ‘helicopter shot’. He was not able to time it right on here. Hasan Ali drew an edge off Pandya but the ball fell just short of Sarfaraz.
India 248/2 in 40 overs – Virat Kohli 39, Hardik Pandya 5
Kohli cuts lose, lofts Shadab Khan over mid-wicket for a boundary. Pandya is off to a promising start but the leg-spinner beats him outside off-stump. Turn on offer once again. Another big over for India.
India 234/2 in 38.2 overs – Rohit Sharma out!
Oh dear, what has he done there? The paddle was not on there and Hasan Ali was full and slightly wide on that delivery. It’s a simple catch for the short third-man fielder. What a knock it was. Take a bow, Rohit Sharma. He is livid with himself as he walks off the field to a thunderous applause.
Rohit Sharma c Wahab Riaz b Hasan Ali 140 (113)
India 230/1 in 38 overs – Rohit Sharma 136, Virat Kohli 30
Vintage Rohit at work once again. Short and angled on leg-stump by Wahab Riaz and the 32-year-old swiveled and pulled it away to the fence. Four more. It’s fasten-your-seatbelts time.
India 219/1 in 37 overs – Rohit Sharma 128, Virat Kohli 29
Four runs from the first over over drinks. Fine bowling from Imad Wasim as he ends his spell with figures of 10-0-49-0. Rohit Sharma tried stepping out before taking evasive action and it could be a sign of things to come.
India 215/1 in 36 overs – Rohit Sharma 126, Virat Kohli 26
Wahab continues to go around the wicket but here, his line goes astray. That was short and wide and Rohit Sharma cuts it behind point to beat third man’s chase. The boundaries keep coming and the India vice-captain is running away with this.
India 206/1 in 35 overs – Rohit Sharma 119, Virat Kohli 24
Another half-chance on offer from Rohit but that’s another boundary to his tally. Imad Wasim draws an edge but there was no slip in place. Seven runs from the over.
India 199/1 in 34 overs – Rohit Sharma 111, Virat Kohli 23
Another cracking shot from Rohit, another boundary. Full from Shadab Khan and that was swept powerfully to deep mid-wicket. Kohli is happy to play second fiddle and play his usual touch and run template in the middle-overs.
India 191/1 in 33 overs – Rohit Sharma 106, Virat Kohli 22
There is a half-chance on offer against Imad as Rohit lazily chipped the ball to cover. Four more singles from Rohit and Virat. Neat from the left-hand spinner.
India 187/1 in 32 overs – Rohit Sharma 104, Virat Kohli 20
Fifty partnership between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. It has come at a run-a-ball pace and it has been easy pickings for captain-vice-captain duo for much of it. Six from the Shadab Khan over.
India 181/1 in 31 overs – Rohit Sharma 102, Virat Kohli 16
Kohli breaks the shackles with a gorgeous cover drive, piercing the gap between cover and mid-off. More intent from the Indian batsmen against Amir in that over. Nine from the over.
This is also Rohit’s quickest century. He took him 85 balls to get there.
India 172/1 in 30 overs – Rohit Sharma 100, Virat Kohli 9
Rohit Sharma completes his 24th ODI ton. Once again, he made it look easy and his innings can be described in three parts. Is there another one in store? He got there with a cut to deep-square. Seven from the over. Rohit’s stunning run of form continues.
Shadab Khan is brought back on.
India 165/1 in 29 overs – Rohit Sharma 95, Virat Kohli 7
Another fine over from Amir. He beats Kohli outside the off-stump and there are words exchanged from the batsman and the bowler. The skipper plays out five dot balls to end the over. Just one from it and the left-armer has figures of 5-0-9-0 so far.
Amir is brought back into the attack.
India 164/1 in 28 overs – Rohit Sharma 94, Virat Kohli 7
Wahab Riaz hits Virat Kohli on the knuckles. There was steep bounce there and the India captain was taken by surprise. The left-armer is having an encouraging spell coming from around the wicket. Economical over, just four from it.
India 160/1 in 27 overs – Rohit Sharma 92, Virat Kohli 6
Another six for Rohit and Pakistan’s leather hunt continues. There, Hasan Ali was short and wide and it’s a flat six for the India opener over covers. Nine from the over and he edges closer to his second hundred of the World Cup.
India 151/1 in 26 overs – Rohit Sharma 85, Virat Kohli 4
Wahab continues to go around the wicket and catches Kohli in two minds in the final ball of the over. It’s rapped on the pads but the ball was drifting down leg. Once again, the singles come easily for Rohit.
India 146/1 in 25 overs – Rohit Sharma 81, Virat Kohli 3
Rohit Sharma nearly chopped on again. Hasan Ali can’t belive his luck as the ball trickles away to the fine-leg fence. Positive start for Kohli, crunching it off the back foot. Two to finish the over.
Hasan Ali comes back into the attack.
India 136/1 in 23.5 overs – KL Rahul out!
There is a big discussion between Marias Erasmus, Wahab Riaz and Sarfaraz and the left-armer is warned for a second time for running onto the pitch. The left-armer goes around the wicket and Rahul chips it straight to cover. Much needed breakthrough for Pakistan but trouble is around the corner – in comes Virat Kohli to a raucous ovation.
KL Rahul c Babar Azam b Wahab Riaz 57 (78)
India 134/0 in 23 overs – Rahul 57, Rohit Sharma 74
Sixes, fours......and the runs keep on coming for India. Rohit, for the first time, steps out and welcomes Hafeez with a powerful hit down the ground for a four. Rahul goes one better, making room and chipping it over long on for a six. Looks like the Karnataka batsman is changing gears.
Hafeez is brought on
India 123/0 in 22 overs – Rahul 51, Rohit Sharma 69
FIFTY FOR RAHUL! He brings it up with a SIX, sweeping Malik over deep mid-wicket. It has been an important knock for him and he has merrily played second fiddle after a nervy start. Big over for India, 11 from it.
Shoaib Malik comes into the attack.
India 112/0 in 21 overs – Rahul 43, Rohit Sharma 66
Singles from the first five deliveries and a two from Rahul to finish things in the over, which was bowled by Imad Wasim. The spinner erred by darting it on a full length. More easy pickings from the batsmen.
India 105/0 in 20 overs – Rahul 39, Rohit Sharma 63
Just six runs from the last three overs for Pakistan. They need wickets, though. Shadab, tossing it up and going a little fuller on off-stump has Rahul fending at it. Rahul, however, missed out on a full toss, in the last ball of the over while trying to go for a reverse sweep.
India 103/0 in 19 overs – Rahul 38, Rohit Sharma 62
There is long on and long off in place for Rahul but more of the same from the Indian openers. They are happy to knock it around for singles. Another fine over from Imad, enticing Rahul into driving on the up and angling the odd one back in.
India 101/0 in 18 overs – Rahul 37, Rohit Sharma 61
India have their first ever 100-run stand in a World Cup match against Pakistan. Shadab has come back well after being taken to the cleaners by Rohit. Two from the over as the umpires call for drinks.
India 99/0 in 17 overs – Rahul 36, Rohit Sharma 60
Five singles from the over. With the field spread out, the openers continue to pinch singles with ease. This is all to easy for India. Sarfaraz should consider getting one of his pacers back.
India 93/0 in 16 overs – Rahul 33, Rohit Sharma 58
Another four for Rohit Sharma. Shadab drags it wide and the India opener merely opens the face of the bat and guides the ball behind point. Pakistan look a little lost and desperately need a wicket. Rohit Sharma continues to grow from strength-to-strength.
India 87/0 in 15 overs – Rahul 32, Rohit Sharma 53
Imran Wasim continues to patrol outside off but continues to get spin off the wicket. The batsmen are happy to rotate strike and even Rahul is looking comfortable at the crease now. Four from the over.
India 83/0 in 14 overs – Rahul 30, Rohit Sharma 51
The sun is out in all its glory and what a gorgeous sight it is for all of us. Much better from Shadab in that over, just three singles off it. India are doing this with minimum fuss there.
India 80/0 in 13 overs – Rahul 28, Rohit Sharma 50
Just a single from the over. There was turn on offer for Imad there and he beat Rahul and Rohit outside off-stump. The left-arm spinner tossed up and the length was slightly fuller. Pakistan need more of this.
The sun is out in Manchester, good news for all of us.
India 79/0 in 12 overs – Rahul 27, Rohit Sharma 50
Huge over for India, 17 from the over. Full-tosses, half-trackers and that played into the batsmen’s hands. Shocking from Shadab Khan and it was easy pickings for the batsmen. Rohit Sharma got his second six from a full-toss. It was hammered over long on. He gets to his fifty by cutting away behind square.
India 62/0 in 11 overs – Rahul 22, Rohit Sharma 38
Rahul gets runs here but the running between the wickets is a bit of a worry. Pakistan had another chance to run Rohit out. Here, Shadab Khan darted in from cover and the throw was at the right end. Alas, it was away from Sarfaraz’s reach. Nine from the over.
India 53/0 in 10 overs – Rahul 14, Rohit Sharma 37
Oh dear, what a let off that was for India. Rohit Sharma ran half-way down the pitch for a second run when Rahul sent him back. However, Fakhar Zaman throws at the wrong end! It was a catastrophe that the fielder didn’t see that. Rohit gets back in time when the throw comes in and he survives. Anxiousness on display from both teams. Four to finish the over, short and wide from Wahab.
India 46/0 in 9 overs – Rahul 12, Rohit Sharma 32
First sign of spin from Pakistan as Imad Wasim is handed the ball. The left-arm spinner darts it in and with no slips in place, the India openers manouvered the strike with minimum fuss. A wide and three singles from the over.
India 42/0 in 8 overs – Rahul 10, Rohit Sharma 31
Seam up and on length is how Wahab starts his spell. Rohit Sharma is back to being watchful and shows a firm defence but he nearly clips the final delivery of the over to short-third. The ball went over his leap and that’s another boundary for the India opener. Seven from the over.
Wahab Riaz replaces Hasan Ali
India 35/0 in 7 overs – Rahul 8, Rohit Sharma 26
Amir is trying to angle it away from the right-handers. There is a short third-man in place as well. India’s template against the pace spearhead continues: There are no risks whatsover and are happy to play out his overs. Three from the over.
India 32/0 in 6 overs – Rahul 7, Rohit 25
Rohit is on the march. Hasan Ali is short and plays into Rohit’s strengths. First, he cuts through the covers for a four but the last delivery was vintage Rohit: on the front foot, he pulls it over deep mid-wicket for a SIX. 11 from the over.
India 20/0 in 5 overs – Rahul 6, Rohit 14
Amir gets his second warning from Oxenford – warning no 2. One more and Amir can’t bowl in this match. Meanwhile, Rahul breaks his shackles with a commanding pull shot of Amir. There was little steep bounce for the left-amer and the ball rolled to the fence but he nearly chopped on in the next delivery. The over ends with peach of a slow delivery but these are testing times for Sarfaraz and Amir. His figures now read 3-0-6-0 and Pakistan can ill afford to not have him finish his quota of overs.
India 16/0 in 4 overs – Rahul 2, Rohit 14
For the first time, it is in the slot and pitched up and Rohit drives it down the ground to get his second boundary. Hasan Ali comes back well in the over, dragging back his length by just a touch but is still on middle and leg. Firm defence from Rohit in the last two balls of the over.
India 11/0 in 3 overs – Rahul 1, Rohit 10
Solid stuff from Amir. The left-armer tests Rohit with a short delivery and the batsman can’t get any wood on that. What’s happened here? Amir has been warned by umpire Bruce Oxenford for running into the danger area. The next ball is a single, clipped on leg. Meanwhile, Rahul continues to leave anything pitched outside off and gets his first run with a dab.
Amir to bowl to Rohit
India 9/0 in 2 overs – Rahul 0, Rohit 9
India’s first runs comes of an inside edge. Rohit Sharma was beaten and it went centimeters away from clipping the leg-stump. The ball raced away to the ropes. Rohit chipped the fifth ball of the over to vacant square leg region for a couple. Rohit keeps strike with a three. On that occasion, Hasan Ali was short and it was easy pickings for the India vice-captain. He rolled his wrists on that one.
Hasan Ali to bowl the second over. Rohit Sharma to take strike.
India 0/0 in 1 Over – Rahul 0, Rohit 0
Maiden Over. Pace up and full goes Amir. Rahul is watchful. The left-armer is looking to angle it away from the opener and Rahul decides to let it go. Three leaves against deliveries outside off to finish the over.
Amir has the ball in his hand. KL Rahul to take strike.
2:57 pm: Goosebumps galore as the Indian national anthem echoes at Old Trafford in Manchester. What a moment!
We’re ready for cricket now. It’s the most highly-anticipated league match. It’s India. It’s Pakistan. It’s the World Cup!
2:53 pm: The players are coming out for the national anthem. Chasing might not be a bad option after all for Pakistan.
2:50 pm: Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan had a word of advice for his players. He says: ‘Power of the mind will decide the match’
2:47 pm: We are counting down to the toss. In case you need a recap, here’s a brief history of all the India-Pakistan World Cup matches till date.
2:43 pm: So, we will be gearing up for a Mohammad Amir vs Rohit Sharma battle first up from the looks of it. Earlier, Virat Kohli said his team will be treating it like just another game. Here are the details.
LineupsIndia 165/1 in 29 overs – Rohit Sharma 95, Virat Kohli 7
India Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (c), Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah
Pakistan Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk/c), Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir
2:36 pm: “We would have bowled first to be honest. Wicket looks really nice though,” Virat Kohli says. “We have been playing good cricket and we don’t want to tinker much with the team combination.”
2:33 pm: India will have Vijay Shankar replacing the injured Shikhar Dhawan. Predictable change, that. That means KL Rahul will open the batting with Rohit Sharma.
2:32 pm: PAKISTAN ARE BOWLING FIRST. Sarfaraz said that he will be playing with two spinners and that overnight rain made him put India into bat.
2:31 pm: Thankfully, we have clear skies in Manchester. It’s toss time.
2:29 pm: Former India opener Virender Sehwag has a worldwide following, clearly.
2.24 pm: Pitch report: Michael Clarke thinks it is a good pitch for batting once you get through the new ball. But the decision to bat or bowl first could well be dictated by the weather.
2.22 pm: With Indian and Pakistan cricket on different trajectories for a long time, is this really a rivalry anymore?
Why Virat Kohli is right when he says India vs Pakistan is just another game: Chetan Narula, from England, writes about it here.
2.14 pm: Here’s the detailed forecast in Manchester... a full game seems real doubtful, unfortunately.
2.07 pm: All eyes on weather in Manchester. Here’s what we know so far... from what we visuals we have seen so far, we are likely to start on time. Virat Kohli had his Indian team in a huddle. Pretty sure he said some version of: “no pressure, this is just another game”
2.00 pm: Hello all and welcome to The Field’s live coverage of the World Cup! Apparently it is some interesting match today.....we kid, we kid. It is, indeed, Super Sunday at Manchester with two time champions India set to face Pakistan in the World Cup group encounter.
The eyes of more than a billion television viewers around the globe will turn to Manchester when arch-rivals India and Pakistan meet on Sunday in the most highly-anticipated group match of the World Cup.
Such was the desire of fans to cheer on their heroes in person that, according to the International Cricket Council’s own figures, there were some 800,000 applications for tickets to watch the match at an Old Trafford ground where the capacity is 26,000.
It’s no wonder then that officials are desperate the match does not fall victim to rain in what is already a record World Cup for washouts.
Both the teams have tried to play down the significance of this encounter saying it is just another match in the World Cup. But for every Indian and Pakistani cricket fan, winning this encounter is second to winning the cup itself.
India has won all the six previous meetings between the two teams and would once start as favourites. They have won two of their three matches with the third against New Zealand getting washed out.
Pakistan, on the other hand, are in a must win situation having scored just 3 points from their four games.