Team India on Sunday, 16 June, extended their dominance over neighbours and arch-rivals Pakistan to 7-0 in World Cup cricket.
In the most-anticipated clash – and perhaps the most-watched match in the ongoing World Cup 2019, Team India batted first, posted a commanding 336-5 and then strangled the Pakistan batsmen in their run-chase. Pakistan were reduced to 166 for 6 when the match was interrupted and then followed a revised target, Pakistan eventually fell short by 89 runs.
Team India was put in a commanding position by the new opening pair of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, when dented Pakistan from the very beginning. The opening partnership of 136 runs would be Team India’s best-ever partnership against Pakistan in World Cup matches.
Though Rahul was dismissed in the twenty fourth over when he spooned a catch to cover, there would be no stopping Rohit Sharma, who carried on to score yet another hundred in ODIs.
Rohit Sharma’s knock on Sunday would be:
- his 24th hundred in ODIs
- his 22nd hundred as opening batsman
- his 3rd hundred in World Cup matches and in ODIs in 2019
- his second consecutive ODI hundred against Pakistan
- the first ODI hundred by an Indian at Old Trafford
- the highest score in India-Pakistan matches in the World Cup
During the course of his knock, Rohit Sharma also set another record; he became the quickest to score 1000 runs in ODIs in England.
Interestingly enough, for a long time Rohit had been considered to be suspect against the moving ball and on surfaces which had something in it for the bowlers. Yet, Rohit has had tremendous success in ODIs in England.
As a result of consistent contributions from almost the entire batting line-up, Team India ended up with a total of 336-5 - the highest total any team has posted against Pakistan in World Cup matches. India’s total would be the highest total in ODIs at the Old Trafford too.
Other records broken and milestones reached in the match were:
- Virat Kohli became the quickest to get to 11000 ODI runs; he smashed the previous record set by Sachin Tendulkar by 54 innings.
- Virat Kohli also completed 1000 runs in ODIs in England
- Vijay Shankar became only the third bowler (known) to take a wicket with the first ball bowled in World Cup.
- With the win, Virat Kohli became the first Indian captain to win his first three World Cup matches.
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