Ind vs Pak Cricket World Cup 2019: The lead continues, unprecedented and unwavering

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And legacy continued. 7-0 is what the score board says. Yes, India strikes again and thrashes Pakistan by 89 runs in World Cup clash. Pakistan was hoping for its maiden victory in the World Cup against India but it was futile effort. This win conveyed a definite statement.

The Old Trafford stadium was full in the morning and was roaring with cheers for India. It was one of the most awaited match of the tournament and both the teams were aspiring to win the match to prove themselves. But it turned out to be an anti-climax to one of the most awaited match. Pakistan needed the victory to keep it’s chances alive as it has already lost two matches. But they couldn’t even give a contest; it was one sided match.

The total runs put up by India at 336-5 was a giant score to follow. Although they lost the toss, but the bat came to them first, which was unusual, since usually the winning team chooses to bat unlike the Pakistanis. In fact the final result of the match became evident in the first 10 overs of the match itself. The Pakistanis gave away so many runs as a result of their poor & uncoordinated fielding. In fact, they lost 2 chances at run out because of this.

Whether, batting, balling or fielding, India’s performance was supremely better than Pakistan’s in all aspects. Pakistan showed poor response in both intent & discipline on the field.

India’s Performance

Rohit and Rahul’s opening partnership which stood at 136 gave a boost to the match like rarely seen before. Many were afraid that Shikhar Dhawan’s absence would be a loss to the team, but Rahul stepped in and took the match away. Another blasting century by Rohit Sharma and the bright rays of the sun started the match and peaked the afternoon.

Indian players took inspiration from the older players, by replicating Sachin Tendulkar’s shot from the 2003 World Cup where he hit a six against Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar.

The biggest challenge for India was to prevent early losses. However, India stood up, with Kohli leading without losing pivotal wickets.

The weak bowling front of the Pakistani team was a definite help in securing this victory. Mohammad Amir’s sharp balls failed against the Indian bat and Hasan Ali was thrashed by Rohit with 84 runs. This was a disastrous show of bowling, given the fact that shot balls are Rohit’s strong points.

Captain Kohli was a little patchy at first, but eventually came into his true form ensuring that the momentum remained uninterrupted. Hardik Pandaya’s early 26 in his typical style also kept the match afloat. The only downer in the match was Dhoni’s performance. Contrary to popular expectations, Dhoni did not perform as per usual.

The showers at 6 scared the spectators but the game was up and running again in not time.

Pakistan’s Performance

For Pakistan, the start was slugged & weak with scoring just 38 in the first 10 overs. In fact, this is the lowest score for the first 10 overs recorded so far in this World Cup. Babar Azam & Fakhar Zaman were the only ones who put up any fight with a 104 in the second wicket partnership. Some fear creeped into the Indian fans when the partnership blew off a few boundaries. But the next 4 wickets fell rapidly in a mere 12 runs, made it evident that the Pakistani’s had lost the battle.

Skipper Sarfaraz and popular player Shoaib Malik failed miserably. Wasim & Khan, who are actually bowlers, stepped up and put some effort as batsmen towards the end with a score of 46 & 20 respectively.

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Although Bumrah’s performance was not very impressive & Bhubaneshwar’s injury was a respite for Pakistan, they failed to utilize this. Further, Shankar & Kuldeep shone bright, showing that India’s dependency was not limited to Jasprit, Chahal & Bhubaneshwar.

Records made this World Cup Match

This World Cup match was a success story, is many more ways that most people would have realized. For a usual cricket viewer, it was another cricketing win for India from the arch rival Pakistan. The most that is visible to the layman’s eye is that it was India’s 7th consecutive victory against Pakistan in the World Cup.

Here’s a list of a few other records made in the match yesterday:

• This was the biggest victory recorded by India in a match against Pakistan, when one looks at the World Cup
• Rohit Sharma emerged as the fastest batsman attaining 1000 runs in an ODI in England. He did so in a mere 18 innings.
• And with Rohit Sharma, his recorded 140 from yesterday’s match is the highest score recorded in a World Cup match between India & Pakistan.
• Vijay Shankar became the first Indian to bowl out a Pakistani on his very ball, when he bowled against Imam-ul-Haq.
• Virat Kohli has become the first Indian skipper to win his first matches in a World Cup, that too with 3 matches.

Conclusion

The Indian victory loomed from the completion of first 10 overs itself. The match that the spectators & audience saw was a good show to watch. The Indian team put up an excellent front, winning the hearts of all viewers. The Pakistan team was abysmal in its performance, even for its own standards. Needless to say, the match was a treat for Indian eyes.