Adelaide: In the cricket's version of a gladiatorial streetfight, defending champions India thumped Pakistan by 76 runs after scoring 300 batting first on Sunday in a high-voltage World Cup clash at the Adelaide Oval.
Virat Kohli's 22nd ODI hundred, half-centuries from Dhawan and Raina and a fine bowling performance led India to mainatain their 100 per cent winning record against Pakistan in World Cup.
#??????? pic.twitter.com/K1fl9cVtwp
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 15, 2015Here is how the action unfolded.
Needing 301 runs to beat India, Ahmed Shehzad and Younis Khan opened the Pakistan innings. Younis Khan was offered a gift on his pads in the third over of the innings by Umesh Yadav and he did the needful of stroking it for four.
However, Shami ended Younis Khan’s innings and caught him napping against a superb bouncer in the fourth over.
(Photo: AP)
But Haris Sohail and Ahemd Shehzad did not give too much joy to Indian bowlers as the duo punished Indian bowlers who faltered in line and length. However, the Indian bowlers hit back by restricting the run flow and pushed Pakistan on backfoot.
The slowdown in run-rate helped India as Sohail got out off Ashwin's bowling giving an easy catch to Suresh Raina who was standing in the slips.
(Photo: AP)
Ahmed Shehzad was then joined by skipper Misbah-ul-Haq. The Virat Kohli lookalike played some big shots but looked in a great hurry. That caused him his wickety and led to Pakistan's downfall. Shehzad hit one hard off Yadav's bowling towards point where Jadeja took a sharp catch.
WHAT A CATCH! Brilliant catch from Jadeja to get rid of Shehzad for 47 http://t.co/3avLDU1uFU #IndvPak #cwc15 Pakistan 102 for 3
— ICC (@ICC) February 15, 2015Yadav then dismissed Sohaib Maqsood on the next ball after the right-hander edged one to Raina in the slips.
(Photo: AP)
Jadeja then added one more wicket to India's wicket tally as the Pakistan wicketkeeper edeged one to Dhoni. The umpire initially ruled Akmal not-out. But India decided to review the decision and the outcome of it ended Akmal's stay in the middle.
Afridi added some fireworks but his stay was shortlived as he got out trying to hit a full toss. Kohli did a fine job running backwards to grab that catch.
(Photo: AP)
Shami struck once again in the same over to send Riaz to the dressing room. Yasir Shah accompanied Misbah for a while but hee too got cheaply. Sohail Khan came out to bat ahead of Mohammad Irfan and immediately got involved in banter with Virat Kohli. This may well be because of Sohail's taunt to Virat Kohli back in January.
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Pakistan skipper, continued his fight but he too got out after scoring 76 runs.
Mohit Sharma then wrapped up Pakistan innings after he dismissed Mohammad Irfan in the 47th over to seal India's thumping win over Pakistan. India, have now won all the six games against the arch-rivals in the World Cup.
Earlier, Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan made a watchful start against Pakistan opening bowlers Mohammad Irfan and Sohail Khan. Dhawan had a close shave in the second over when Sohail appealed for LBW. But the ball had hit his bat before going to smash into his pads.
Dhawan then hit first four of the Indian innings when he cut one off Sohail Khan's bowling. Rohit joined the party as he stroked two boundaries in the fifth over to take India's score to 21.
Meanwhile, the Indian fans were missing Sachin Tendulkar. The legend was a key part of the Indian team during last six World Cups. The jam packed Adelaide also witnessed fans having a good time.
(Photo: AP)
(Photo: AP)
Dhawan launched into Mohammad Irfan in the seventh over and smacked him for a six over the mid-wicket boundary. However, the joy for Indian fans was shortlived as Sohail Khan dismissed Rohit Sharma in the 8th over.
(Photo: AP)
It was a battle of attrition as Kohli and Dhawan played it safe while Pakistan too did not try hard to put Indian under pressure. India brought up their fifty in the 12th over. Pakistan had a chance to cut short Kohli's innings. But Yasir Shah could not manage to hold onto a difficult catch off Afridi's bowling.
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While Kohli and Dhawan were watchful in the earlier part of their partnership, the Delhi duo launched into the attack as they brought up fifty-run partnership. Dhawan, who had a horrible run recently, scored his first World Cup fifty in his first ever game in the tournament.
Kohli, meanwhile, attacked the young leg-spinner Yasir Shah to up the ante. Then, he joined his Delhi teammate and brought up his fifty. The duo continued to torment Pakistan with hitting boundaries at will and without much trouble.
(Photo: AP)
But Pakistan managed to break the partnership when the confusion between Kohli and Dhawan cost India Dhawan's wicket. Kohli first gave a call for a quick single but seeing Afridi moving in quickly, Kohli decided not to run. However, it was tad too late for Dhawan and he had to walk back to the dressing room after scoring 73 off 76 balls.
(Photo: AP)
However, that did not stop the Indian fans from cheering the team.
#WontGiveItBack #IndvsPak #CWC15 https://t.co/LuFLgKn4zh
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 15, 2015After Dhawan's dismissal, Suresh Raina joined Kohli in the middle. The Kohli-Raina duo did not take too many rusn in the powerplay overs and scored only 25 runs. However, as the batting powerplay came to an end, the duo bulldozed Pakistan bowling attack.
While Raina scored a fifty, Virat Kohli became the first Indian batsman to score a hundred against Pakistan in the World Cup. Raina, then hammered the Pakistan bowlers with some crisp boundaries all over the ground.
(Photo: AP)
But India lost their vice-captain after he scored a ton. Virat Kohli, who was having a poor run of form, found an apt occasion to return to form. Raina too could not last long and got out off the bowling of Sohail Khan.
Pakistan then had a chance to dismiss Jadeja but could not as they messed up on a run-out chance.
Hahaha! Pakistan. #CWC15 https://t.co/8eqPm00zVt
— HashtagCricket (@HashTagCricket) February 15, 2015But they did not have to wait for too long as Wahab Riaz disturbed the timber to send Jadeja packing. Sohail Khan then derailed Indian inning with dismissing Dhoni and Rahane on consecutive balls to restrict India to 300.
Scorecard:
Indian innings:
Shikhar Dhawan run out (Misbah) 73
Rohit Sharma c Misbah b Sohail Khan 15
Virat Kohli c Akmal b Sohail Khan 107
Suresh Raina c Haris Sohail b Sohail Khan 74
MS Dhoni c Misbah b Sohail Khan 18
Ravindra Jadeja b Wahab Riaz 3
Ajinkya Rahane b Sohail Khan 0
Ravi Ashwin not out 1
Mohammed Shami not out 3
Extras: (2lb,3w,1nb) 6
Total: (for seven wickets) 300
Overs: 50. Batting time: 235 minutes.
Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-163, 3-273, 4-284, 5-296, 6-296, 7-296.
Did not bat: Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma.
Bowling: Mohammad Irfan 10-0-58-0 (2w,1nb), Sohail Khan 10-0-55-5 (1w), Shahid Afridi 8-0-50-0, Wahab Riaz 10-0-49-1, Yasir Shah 8-0-60-0, Haris Sohail 4-0-26-0.
Pakistan innings:
Ahmed Shehzad c Jadeja b Yadav 47
Younis Khan c Dhoni b Shami 6
Haris Sohail c Raina b Ashwin 36
Misbah-ul-Haq c Rahane b Shami 76
Sohaib Maqsood v Raina b Yadav 0
Umar Akmal c Dhoni b Jadeja 0
Shahid Afridi c Kohli b Shami 22
Wahab Riazc Dhoni b Shami 4
Yasir Shah c Yadav b Mohit Sharma 13
Sohail Khan cYadav b Mohit Sharma 7
Mohammad Irfan not out 1
Extras: (1lb,1nb,10w) 12
Total: (all out) 224.
Overs: 47. Batting time: 209 minutes.
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-79, 3-102, 4-102, 5-103, 6-149, 7-154, 8-203, 9-220, 10-224.
Bowling: Umesh Yadav 10-0-50-2 (5w), Mohammed Shami 9-1-35-4 (4w), Mohit Sharma 9-0-35-2 (1nb), Suresh Raina 1-0-6-0, Ravi Ashwin 8-3-41-1 (1w), Ravindra Jadeja 10-0-56-1.
Here are the playing XIs.
IND XI: S Dhawan, RG Sharma, V Kohli, A Rahane, S Raina, MS Dhoni, R Jadeja, R Ashwin, U Yadav, M Sharma, M Shami
— ICC Live Scores (@ICCLive) February 15, 2015PAK XI: A Shehzad, Younis Khan, H Sohail, Misbah-ul-Haq, S Maqsood, U Akmal, S Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Y Shah, S Khan, M Irfan
— ICC Live Scores (@ICCLive) February 15, 2015Right before the game, when Team India left the hotel, they were given a loud cheer.
#TeamIndia left for the ground earlier amidst a round of cheers and joys #CWC15 #WontGiveItBack https://t.co/zCFoWPuwK8
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 15, 2015
