ICC Champions Trophy: India Canter To A Comfortable 124-Run Win Vs Pakistan

A great batting performance from the top order, combined with some good bowling gave India an easy 124-run victory (DLS method) over traditional rivals Pakistan in their ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Group B contest in Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday. India scored 319 for 3 in their rain-truncated 48 overs and then dismissed Pakistan to 164 off 33.4 overs as the latter chased revised Duckworth-Lewis total of 289 off 41 overs.

Pakistan looked well set to chase down the revised DLS score of 324 off 48 overs before another rain break reduced their asking rate further.

However, none of the batsmen were really able to get to grips with the Indian bowling, especially the slow left-arm spin of Ravindra Jadeja in the middle of the innings.

Only opener Azhar Ali (50) seemed to have some clue on how to deal with the bowling while the rest of the batting was none too impressive.

Earlier, India were well served by openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, who stitched together a 136-run stand before Dhawan was dismissed for 68 off 65 balls as Shadab struck for Pakistan.

The Indian skipper, Virat Kohli, came in after the fall of the first wicket and looked in great touch right from the outset.

The match was reduced to 48-overs-a-side as Sharma came out all guns blazing after the rain break. But the Indian opener was soon run out, thanks to a good piece of fielding by Babar Azam as Sharma (91) fell nine short of his hundred.

Yuvraj Singh walked out to the middle with India needing quick runs and the Indian left-hander didn't disappoint.

He played a brilliant cameo and brought up his half-century in just 29 balls as the Pakistanis were in for a leather hunt.

Kohli (81*), on the other hand, kept the scoreboard moving with an odd boundary every now and then as India got the momentum needed to post a big first innings score.