Virat Kohli delivered another masterclass, scoring his 51st ODI century to lead India to a six-wicket victory over Pakistan in a highly hyped Champions Trophy clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. The win puts India firmly in control of their group, while Pakistan teeters on the brink of elimination.
India's Performance:
- Batting: The chase was anchored by Kohli's magnificent century (100* off 111 balls), a knock characterised by controlled aggression and impeccable timing. He reached his century with a boundary off the final ball, a fitting end to a superb innings. Shreyas Iyer provided crucial support with a well-made half-century (50 off 63 balls), accelerating after a cautious start. Earlier in the innings, Kohli also became the fastest batter to reach 14,000 ODI runs, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record.
- Bowling: India's bowlers set the stage for the victory by restricting Pakistan to a below-par 241. Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 3/40 with his crafty wrist spin. Hardik Pandya (2/31) provided crucial breakthroughs, dismissing Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel. Harshit Rana delivered an exceptional final over, taking a wicket and conceding no runs, showing excellent death-bowling skills.
- Fielding: India had an amazing fielding performance.
Pakistan's Performance:
- Batting: Pakistan's innings never really gained momentum. Saud Shakeel top-scored with 62, and Mohammad Rizwan made a slow 46, but their partnership, while substantial, lacked the urgency required in a modern ODI. Khushdil Shah's late cameo (38 off 39 balls) provided some respectability, but the total always felt under par. The inability to accelerate in the middle overs proved costly.
- Bowling: The bowlers didn't had enough runs on board to defend, and where unable to defend, when Kohli and Iyer were at the crease.
- Fielding: Pakistan's fielding was not upto the mark, when the pressure built.
The match, while not a nail-biting thriller until the very end, was a showcase of Kohli's enduring class and India's overall dominance. For Pakistan, this defeat is a major setback. Their hopes of progressing in the tournament now rely on a complex combination of results, including a Bangladesh victory over New Zealand and a significant win over Bangladesh themselves, with net run rate likely to be a deciding factor. The pressure is firmly on Pakistan to deliver a miracle.
