PAK vs IND: India Seals 6-Wicket Victory in Champions Trophy

PAK vs IND: India thrashed Pakistan by 6 wickets in a dominant Champions Trophy encounter on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

India has claimed the bragging rights in this fierce rivalry, leveling the head-to-head record with Pakistan at 3-3 in Champions Trophy encounters. Meanwhile, Pakistan finds itself on the edge, with the defending champions at risk of being knocked out before their final group match.

Pakistan’s total of 242 wasn’t big, but India had struggled previously when chasing just under 230 against Bangladesh.

Rohit Sharma once again gave India a quick start but was dismissed quickly. Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli then built a steady partnership. However, Gill fell short of another half-century, dismissed by a stunning delivery.

Kohli, however, took charge and maintained the momentum. He had Shreyas Iyer at the other end, who started offcautiously. Together, they weathered a phase of tight bowling and then both players launched an aggressive attack on the bowlers.

The chase took a dramatic turn towards the end as Iyer was dismissed after his half-century, and Hardik Pandya came in only to be dismissed swiftly.

India had completed their job, but there was still one more milestone left. Kohli made history by breaking several records in this game, surpassing 14,000 runs and becoming the third-highest run-scorer in men’s international cricket, behind only Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara. To top it all off, he hit the winning runs and brought up his 51st ODI century. 

For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi was on the hunt for wickets, but he was a bit too full, allowing boundaries to be hit before bouncing back strongly to dismiss the Indian captain. Apart from that, the Pacers didn’t get many chances. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed bowled a fine spell, claiming the crucial wicket of Gill. Khushdil Shah also picked up a wicket, and Shaheen Afridi struck again later on.

PAK vs IND: 1st Inning

Earlier in the game, Mohammad Rizwan chose to bat first. Pakistan started much better than in their previous match but lost both their openers quickly during the powerplay.

Mohammad Rizwan had to rebuild the innings alongside Saud Shakeel, but the pair took some time to find their rhythm. Saud looked in good form, and Rizwan also started to capitalize later, but losing both settled batters proved costly. In the end, they limped to a total of 241 runs.

For India, Hardik Pandya stood out among the seamers, but the other bowlers also delivered strong performances. Kuldeep Yadav made a key breakthrough by dismantling the middle order at a crucial time.

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