India overpowered arch-rivals Pakistan by 124 runs in a rain-marred Group B encounter of the ICC Champions Trophy in Birmingham on Sunday. Asked to bat first, the Indians rode on a power packed performance by the top order to post a challenging total. In an innings affected by rain twice -- consequently shortened to 48 overs as against the normal 50 -- India posted 319/3. Further rain interruptions forced the match officials to revise the target to 324 runs off 48 overs according to the the Duckworth Lewis method.
The Pakistanis were off to a steady start thanks to openers Azhar Ali and Ahmed Shehzad. The duo put together an opening stand of 47 runs in nine overs before pacer Buvneshwar Kumar struck the first blow for India by trapping Shehzad leg before. Ali continued to battle on, top scoring for Pakistan with a steady 50 runs off 65 balls before being dismissed. But the rest of the Pakistan batsmen seemed to buckle under pressure and failed to rise to the challenge. (SCORECARD)
HIGHLIGHTS of Champions Trophy 2017 match between India vs Pakistan in Birmingham:
PAKISTAN INNINGS:
23.35 IST: Umesh Yadav was the best bowler for India, taking 3 for 30. Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with a couple each. India didn't field that well and the rain did threaten to play spoilsport but in the end, we had enough time for a result. A lot was expected from this contest but as has been the case in the last few years, it was another one-sided game.
23.33 IST: India have wrapped the game in fine fashion here. They had done most of the damage with the bat itself when they posted a par score on the board. The bowlers backed the good work. Azhar Ali was the lone man fighting for them with a fifty but he did not get any help from the rest as they kept losing wickets at intervals.
23.28 IST: OUT! Umesh removes Hasan Ali for a duck!
23.25 IST: OUT! Umesh removes Amir for 9. PAK 164/8, need 125 in 46 balls
23.16 IST: Kedar Jadhav dropped a sitter! Shortish delivery outside off, angling in, Shadab goes for an expansive pull but gets a top edge. It's straight to Jadhav at covers, who gets underneath it, keeps himself composed but lets it go through. PAK 159/7, need 130 in 54 balls
23.09 IST: OUT! Pandya removes Sarfraz for 15. Another one bites the dust! Angles in a good length delivery just outside off, Sarfraz looks to dab to third man but only manages to get an outside edge which is snaffled by the keeper. The writing is on the wall now. PAK 151/7, need 138 in 41 balls
23.03 IST: OUT! Pandya removes Imad Wasim for 0. Golden duck for Imad Wasim! This is poor cricket from the Pakistani all-rounder. With his side in trouble, he hit the first delivery he faced, straight to the fielder. On a length and angling away, Imad stays tall and hits it on the up. Doesn't keep it on the ground and it's straight at the throat of Jadhav at short cover, who takes a good, sharp catch. PAK 135/6 in 27.3 overs, need 154 in 81 balls
22.57 IST: OUT! Jadeja removes Hafeez for 33. Hafeez holes out! Arm ball, sliding in, Hafeez gets down on one knee and looks to slog sweep but he too gets a top edge. The ball travels towards deep mid-wicket. Bhuvneshwar in the deep, runs to his left and this time completes the catch. PAK 131/5 in 26.3 overs, need 158 in 87 balls
22.48 IST: FOUR! Innovative! Jadjea slants it down leg, Sarfraz Ahmed kneels down and paddle sweeps it fine down the leg side for a boundary. PAK 123/4 in 25 overs, need 166 runs
22.45 IST: Shoaib Malik run out for 15. Great throw from Jadeja. Pakistan have lost their fourth wicket. Sarfraz Ahmed is the new man in. Bull's eye from Jadeja! Don't ever mess with his throwing arm and especially in that region. Big blow for Pakistan and they are now in a huge trouble. PAK 114/4 in 23.3 overs, need 175 in 17.3 overs
22.40 IST: SIX! Malik hits Jadeja for a maximum. Malik dances down the track. Jadeja sees that and drags his length back. Malik is not near the pitch of the ball but still goes through with his lofted shot. Connects it well and the ball sails over ropes for a maximum! PAK 113/3
22.37 IST: FOUR! dancing shoes are on! Fired in full outside off, Hafeez gets to the pitch of the ball and goes inside out over extra cover. Beats the long on fielder and the ball crosses the ropes. Hafeez getting a move on now!
22.35 IST: FOUR! Fine this time! Pandya gets his line wrong, angles it down the leg side. Malik just help it on its way and Yadav in the deep can't stop it from reaching the fine leg fence. So, back-to-back boundaries for Pakistan! PAK 102/3 in 22 overs, need 187 runs
22.33 IST: FOUR! Nice shot to get off the mark! It's full outside off, Malik extends his arms and drives it square of the wicket on the off side for a boundary.
22.29 IST: OUT! Jadeja removes Azhar Ali for 50. PAK 91/3 (20.5 overs), need 198 runs. Azhar Ali falls after fifty. This will hurt Pakistan's tough chase. Jadeja gets his man! Soon after reaching his half century, Ali departs. Jadeja bowls a flatter arm ball. Ali gets down on one knee and looks to slog sweep but gets a top edge. The ball flies over backward square leg. Hardik Pandya at deep square leg, runs to his right and pouches it with ease near the ropes. The set man departs and the Indians are joyous.
22.20 IST: FOUR! Poor ball from Jadeja and punished! He drops it short, Hafeez does not miss out and pulls it through long leg for a boundary. PAK 87/2 in 19 overs
22.13 IST: FOUR! A boundary from Azhar Ali to end the over of Hardik Pandya. Shorter in length, Ali looks to ramp it to third man. There is a fielder there, who was brought finer but this time he gets it wide of him. Yuvraj covers good ground, going to his right. He looks to stop it but the ball still trickles over the fence. PAK 76/2 in 16 overs, 213 runs.
22.04 IST: Dropped! Bhuvneshwar puts down Azhar Ali! Angles it on a length, Azhar Ali comes down to go over mid off but the bat turns in his hands. Kumar comes in from long on, gets two hands to it but does not hold onto the chance. India have not fielded well at all. Two runs taken. PAK 64/2 in 14 overs
22.01 IST: Hardik Pandya has been introduced into the attack!
21.59 IST: Mohammad Hafeez is the new man in. A lot will depend on Hafeez today and Pakistan will hope that the professor takes them home.
21.58 IST: OUT! Umesh removes Babar for 8. PAK 61/2 (9 overs), need 228 runs in 28.4 overs. Umesh strikes! Short again, just outside off, Azam looks to cut it hard again but finds Jadeja at backward point. A very good catch that, given the fielding standards so far in the game. Pakistan would have hoped for more from there talented batsman.
21.50 IST: Maiden over from Umesh Yadav. PAK 51/1 in 11 overs, need 238 runs.
21.42 IST: FOUR! Hit away! Shorter length outside off, Azhar Ali gets under it and ramps it over the keeper for a boundary. Bumrah has struggled with his lengths here. 50 up for Pakistan. PAK 51/1 in 10 overs, 238 runs
21.41 IST: OUT! Bhuvneshwar removes Ahmed Shehzad for 12. PAK 47/1 (9 overs), need 242 runs. First strike for India! Angles it on a good length, Shehzad looks to clip but is hit on his pads. The players go up in an appeal and the umpire rules it in favour of the bowler. Shehzad comes over to have a chat with his partner but they decide against the review. Was it outside the line or going over the stumps? Let's wait for the Ball Tracker. Replays show three reds and hence, it was a good decision. Babar Azam walks out to bat.
21.39 IST: FOUR! Full and outside off, Ali presents the full face of the bat and gets it past a diving mid off for a boundary.
21.37 IST: Direct Hit and Ali would have been a goner! Angles it on a length, Azhar taps it to covers for a single. Hardik Pandya gets to the ball and looks to score a direct hit at the bowler's end but misses. Ali had given up after almost colliding with the bowler. Could Pandya have taken more time to hit the stumps? PAK 38/0 in 8 overs
21.36 IST: FOUR! Up and over! Fuller and outside off, Ali gets under it and launches it over the mid on fielder for a boundary.
21.33 IST: Bhuvneshwar Kumar gives away 5 runs in his fourth over. PAK 32/0 in 7 overs
21.31 IST: FOUR! Crashed! Short and wide outside off, Ali throws the kitchen sink at it and gets it between point and covers for a boundary.
21.29 IST: Jasprit Bumrah is the first change.
21: 25 IST: Four bowlers can bowl 8 overs, 1 bowler can bowl 9 overs. Powerplay 1 (1-8), Powerplay 2 (9-33), Powerplay 3 (34-41). That is for the updated playing conditions. The players are back out in the middle. Azhar Ali and Ahmed Shehzad to continue batting. Bhuvneshwar Kumar to complete his over.
21.20 IST: The rain has stopped. The covers are coming off. Play to resume at 16:55 local time. The target for Pakistan is 289 in 41 overs. So, 267 runs needed from 36.1 overs. We have lost seven overs for the break.
20.55 IST: Oh dear! The drizzle is back now and the players are going off the field. Pakistan need 302 more runs in 43.1 overs (By DLS method). Let's hope the rain clears soon and we get back on the field. If it is a 20-over game, Pakistan will get a 173-run target.
20.48 IST: FOUR! Azhar Ali hits a boundary off Umesh to end the over. Shorter in length on the stumps, Ali hooks it down to the square leg fence. This is a sedate start for Pakistan. PAK 21/0 in 4 overs
20.45 IST: Good over from Bhuvneshwar. He gives away just 5 runs. PAK 15/0 in 3 overs
20.39 IST: FOUR! Flashed! Umesh bowls it shorter outside off, Shehzad goes after the width and gets it past point for a boundary. PAK 10/0 in 2 overs
20.37 IST: Right-arm pacer Umesh Yadav comes into the attack.
20.36 IST: Bhuveshwar gives away just 4 runs. PAK 4/0 in 1 over
20.30 IST: We are back for the chase. Azhar Ali to open with Ahmed Shehzad. Pakistan will need a healthy partnership first up to chase this huge total down. Bhuvneshwar Kumar to start the proceedings with the first new ball. A couple of slips in place. Here we go...
INDIA INNINGS:
20.15 IST: Meanwhile, India's score has been revised to 323 and Pakistan have now a target of 324 runs.
20.03 IST: India finish with 319/3 in 48 overs vs Pakistan. Kohli (81*), Rohit (91), Yuvraj (53)
20.00 IST: SIX! Hat-trick of maximums! Pandya expecting the ball to slide in, gets across and slogs it over mid-wicket for a biggie. Pandya is on fire. Can he make it six in six?
19.58 IST: SIX! Another one! Once again Wasim fires it full outside off and Pandya smashes it over long off for another half a dozen. Can he keep it going?
19.57 IST: SIX! Pandya power! Full outside off, Pandya bends his back knee and tonks it over long off for a maximum. That was a clean hit!
19.56 IST: SIX! That's some shot! Full outside off and Kohli lofts it over extra cover for a biggie. That was struck beautifully. IND 296/3 in 47 overs
19.55 IST: FOUR! Creamed! Very full around off, Kohli just creams it over extra cover for a boundary.
19.54 IST: OUT! Yuvraj out LBW for 53. IND 285/3 in 46.2 overs. Decision overturned! Plumb! Almost a yorker in the line of the stumps, Yuvraj fails to dig it out and gets hit low on the pads. The players appeal but it's turned down. After a discussion with his bowler, Sarfraz takes the review. There was a slight noise of bat being involved. It was of the bat being hit on the ground as shown by the Hot Spot. The Snicko doesn't detect any edge and the Hawk Eye shows that Yuvraj was plumb. The dangerous southpaw has to depart. End of the 93-run stand off 58 balls.
19.45 IST: FOUR! Top edged! Shorter in length on the stumps, Yuvraj looks to pull but gets a top edge over the head of the keeper for a boundary. That is a fifty for him, in just 29 balls. And not to forget, he was dropped on 8.
19.43 IST: SIX! Clean as a whistle! Kohli into an overdrive! Fuller and on the stumps, Kohli gets under it and just launches it over long on for a maximum. What a strike.
19.42 IST: FOUR! Wahab Riaz bowls it around off, Kohli gets under it and just whips it over the mid-wicket fielder for a boundary. He has picked up pace now.
19.42 IST: FOUR! Yuvraj finishes the over with a boundary! IND 264/2 in 45 overs
19.41 IST: SIX! Fifty for Virat Kohli off 51 balls. Gets there with a six off Hasan Ali. IND 260/2 in 44.4 overs
19.40 IST: FOUR! Yuvraj has got a special liking for Hasan Ali. This time the southpaw hits from for a boundary to long on.
19.38 IST: DROPPED! Fahim Ashraf puts down Virat Kohli in the deep. IND 247/2 in 44 overs
19.34 IST: Bad news for Pakistan fans as Mohammed Amir has injured his calf muscle. He can't continue his over. Wahab Riaz to complete the over.
19.31 IST: SIX! What a shot from Yuvraj! The man is on song! Short delivery and Yuvraj latches onto it in a flash. Pulls it over backward square leg for a huge biggie. He is playing a gem of a cameo. 12 runs off the over! IND 242/2 in 43 overs
19.31 IST: Four! Yuvraj hits Hasan Ali for a glorious straight drive. Full outside off, Yuvraj smashes it past his partner. Even the long off fielder can't cut it off with a dive. That's a smashing hit.
19.26 IST: FOUR! Vintage Yuvraj Singh! What a shot! He just effortlessly pulled Mohammed Amir for a glorious boundary. IND 229/2 in 42 overs
19.23 IST: Mohammed Amir is back into the attack! Amir has not picked wickets but he has bowled well today.
19.21 IST: FOUR! Lucky boundary for Yuvraj off Hasan Ali. He nearly got rid of Yuvraj there! He bowls a superb yorker outside off, the southpaw digs it out at the very last moment. Gets a bottom inside edge and the ball whiskers past the off pole and races to the fence. IND 222/2 in 41 overs
19.18 IST: FOUR! A boundary for Yuvraj Singh off Wahab Riaz to end the over. Crunched! Slower delivery outside off, Yuvraj picks it up and spanks it through covers for a boundary. Riaz is prove very expensive today. IND 213/2 in 40 overs
19.14 IST: DROPPED! Hasan Ali puts down Yuvraj Singh on 8. It was an easy catch. Shadab bowls a googly around off, Yuvraj dances down and looks to loft it down the ground. Howeve, he fails to make a proper connection and ends up mistiming it over mid off. Hasan Ali, at long off, gets under the ball catches it but as he slides, spills the ball down. Oh dear, this can prove very costly to Pakistan. IND 206/2 in 39 overs
19.09 IST: FOUR! Yuvraj brings up India's 200 with a boundary off Wahab Riaz. After going short, Riaz goes for the yorker around off but misses his length by a touch and Yuvraj flicks it through mid-wicket. Wasim tries to chase it down but comes second to the ball. IND 202/2 in 38 overs
19.08 IST: Big jolt for India as Rohit, who was set, got run out for 91. With Yuvraj Singh joining Virat Kohli in the middle, India will look to up the ante now. However, Yuvraj needs to score quickly.
19.02 IST: OUT! Rohit Sharma run-out for 91! Rohit failed to ground his bat there. Kohli stays back and with soft hands defends square of the wicket on the off side. IND 192/2 in 36.3 overs
18.59 IST: SIX! Wahab Riaz goes short this time and Rohit latches onto it in a flash and pulls it over square leg for a maximum. He is gaining his momentum back. IND 189/1 in 36 overs
18.58 IST: FOUR! All class from Rohit. Wahab bowls a length delivery outside off and Rohit stands tall and drives it on the up through the gap between mid off and covers for a boundary.
18.56 IST: Kohli and Rohit now need to plan their innings. With 9 batsmen remaining in the line-up, one of them have to take some chances.
18.55 IST: A good over from Shadab Khan. He gives away just 2 overs. IND 176/1 in 35 overs
18.50 IST: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will look to accelerate the run-rate as the match has been reduced by two overs. IND 174/1 in 34 overs
18.49 IST: Play has resumed after the second rain interruption. It will be a 48-overs-a-side match.
PLAY RESUMES, INDIA VS PAKISTAN MATCH REDUCED TO 48 OVERS A SIDE
18.45 IST: Good news from Birmingham! The players are seen warming up and the sky has a clear look now. Play to resume anytime soon.
18.39 IST: BAD NEWS! We were just minutes away from the start of play and the Rain Gods decided to interrupt again in Birmingham! FYI, we will start losing overs from here on. The pitch is under the hover-cover. This is the last thing we wanted to hear!
18.33 IST: The rain has stopped and the umpires are done inspecting. They are happy with the situation. It will be a 49-overs-a-side match.
18.25 IST: Good news, guys! The rain has eased down in Birmingham and play will resume at 18.40 IST.
18.12 IST: Pakistan have managed to restrict the run flow as they have given just 15 runs in the last 5 overs. They would hope for the rain to continue a bit longer as that would reduce the overs for India. But let's just hope for the rain to stop quickly.
18.05 IST: Oh dear! Not again! The Rain Gods have once again decided to play the spoilsport in Birmingham and the match has been stopped. The groundsmen are back with the covers and the super soppers. India are 173/1 in 33.1 overs. The stand between Rohit and Kohli is worth 37.
18.00 IST: Hasan Ali bowls a great over. He gives away just 2 runs. IND 173/1 in 33 overs.
17.54 IST: Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh joins Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag in the commentary box at Edgbaston. He says the atmosphere is electric out there. IND 171/1 in 32 overs
17.52 IST: Another good over for Pakistan as Hasan Ali gives away just 1 run. IND 163/1 in 31 overs
17.47 IST: Good over from Amir in his comeback spell. He gives away just a single. IND 162/1 in 30 overs
17.45 IST: Mohammed Amir comes into the attack! This is the battle we all were waiting for! It will be interesting to watch how Kohli plays his old nemesis. Meanwhile, Amir will be hoping to get the better of the Indian captain and break this stand.
17.43 IST: Shadab Khan gives away 4 runs in his 7th over. IND 161/1 in 29 overs
17.39 IST: FOUR! Deft Touch! Straighter delivery outside off, Virat Kohli crouches low, lets the ball to come to him and then opens the face of the bat to guide it fine to the third man fence. Superb batting! IND 157/1 in 28 overs
17.35 IST: Rohit Sharma is on 70 - his highest against Pakistan in all ODIs. IND 149/1 in 27.2 overs
17.29 IST: Finally, a success for Pakistan in the form of Dhawan's wicket! IND 138/1 in 25 overs
17.27 IST: OUT! Dhawan out for 68! IND 136/1 in 24.3 overs. Picked out the fielder! Shadab bowls it on the stumps, it a full toss, Dhawan comes down and looks to go big over mid-wicket. He though finds the fielder in the deep and that is the breakthrough for Pakistan. Dhawan departs after a good knock though.
17.24 IST: FOUR! Brilliant batting! Fuller on the stumps, Dhawan gets outside the line and sweeps it fine to the fine leg fence for a boundary. IND 136/0 in 24 overs
17.22 IST: Shadab gives away 4 runs in his 4th over. IND 129/0 in 23 overs
17.18 IST: Shoaib Malik gives away just 4 runs. IND 125/0 in 22 overs
17.16 IST: Right-arm off-break Shoaib Malik comes into the attack.
17.15 IST: Brilliant over for India. Shadab Khan gives away 11 runs. IND 121/0 in 21 overs
17.13 IST: SIX! Brilliant shot! Fuller on middle, Dhawan comes down the track and just clobbers it over mid-wicket for a maximum. These two are going after the bowling now. That was the wrong one.
17.12 IST: Played Dhawan! Fuller outside off, slower in pace, Dhawan drives it through point. There is a fumble and it allows him a couple of runs. Dhawan too gets to his fifty.
17.10 IST: FOUR! BOOM! Short and wide outside off, Dhawan spanks it over the point region for a boundary. The boundaries are starting to flow now for India.
17.08 IST: FOUR! Poor line and punished! Fuller on the pads, Dhawan clips it through the fine leg region for a boundary.
17.07 IST: FOUR! Flashed! Shorter in length just outside off, Dhawan waits for it and just flashes at it. He gets it down to third man for a boundary.
17.06 IST: SIX! Played Rohit! Shadab drops it short just around off, Rohit goes back and pumps it over mid-wicket for a biggie. He was out from the game for sometime but has announced his arrival in England. IND 95/0 in 19 overs
17.03 IST: A good over from Wahab Riaz! He gives away 3 runs. IND 87/0 in 18 overs
SACHIN TENDULKAR COMES TO THE STADIUM TO WATCH INDIA VS PAKISTAN MATCH
Little master Sachin Tendulkar is there at Edgbaston and the moment he was shown on the giant screen, the crowd erupts in joy. The maestro is seen with Niranjan Shah, enjoying the proceedings of the match. He much be very excited to see an India vs Pakistan clash. Tendulkar has been part of many such clashes in the past and has a great record against the arch-rivals.
16.59 IST: Another good over for India. Shadab gives away 5 runs as IND 84/0 in 17 overs
16.57 IST: Right-arm leg break bowler Shadab Khan comes into the attack.
16.56 IST: FOUR! Lovely shot! Short and wide outside off, Dhawan gets under it and ramps it over point for a boundary. That is a shot in confidence by Shikhar. He loves to go over the off side. Good over for India! IND 79/0 in 16 overs
16.55 IST: FOUR! Up and over! Slants it fuller and outside off, Rohit gets under it and drives it on the up over mid off for a boundary.
16.54 IST: Fuller on the stumps again, clipped through backward square leg for a single. Dhawan wants the second but Rohit slips as the throw comes in. The keeper gets to the stumps and looks to deflect it onto the stumps but misses. That could have been close.
16.53 IST: Almost a return catch! Wahab bows it fuller on the stumps, Dhawan looks to clip it but gets a leading edge just wide of the bowler. A single taken.
16.52 IST: Hasan Ali brings an unpredictability factor to his bowling. The Indian batsmen have not seen him much. IND 66/0 in 15 overs
16.47 IST: Good over from Wahab Riaz to start with. He gave away just 3 runs. IND 62/0 in 14 overs
16.43 IST: Left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz is introduced into the attack! Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed will hope for the same hostile spell from Wahab that he bowled against Australia in the 2015 ICC World Cup. Wahab's best bowling figures are against India - 5/46.
16.42 IST: A decent over from Hasan Ali. Gave away just 4 runs. IND 59/0 in 13 overs
16.40 IST: Must say that it is an example of defensive captaincy from Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed. He had a chance to unsettle the Indian batsmen after the rain delay by deploying the fast bowers. However, he didn't do that and instead continued with Imad Wasim, giving an opportunity to the Indian batsmen to settle down.
16.38 IST: Imad Wasim gives away 3 runs off his 6th over. IND 55/0 in 12 overs
16.35 IST: Fifty up for India in 11 overs. IND 52/0. Rohit 29*, Dhawan 21*
16.33 IST: No Ball from Hasan Ali! Free-hit for India. Rohit Sharma is on strike!
16.31 IST: Imad Wasim floats it outside off, Rohit comes forward and defends it. IND 46/0 in 10 overs. END OF FIRST POWERPLAY
16.30 IST: The players are back out in the middle for the game. The two Indian openers will hope to build on this start. Imad Wasim to complete his over.
PLAY RESUMES AFTER RAIN INTERRUPTION IN INDIA VS PAKISTAN MATCH
16.20 IST: GOOD NEWS! The rain has relented and the covers are coming off. Play will resume at 1200 local time. No overs lost for now.
16.05 IST: BAD NEWS! It is still raining in Birmingham. Satellite images show a cover of dark clouds hovering over the ground. Fans would expect mercy from the Rain Gods.
15.54 IST: The rain looks to have settled. India would be disappointed with the proceedings as they were just starting to open up. Pakistan won't mind it at the all. Will we have the next update in an hour's time, at 1215 local time. Stay tuned.
15.49 IST: The rain interruption might be a reason to worry for India as the break may cause a lapse in concentration of the Indian openers. Both Shikhar and Rohit were slowly getting settled after a hostile spell of bowling from Mohammed Amir. According to the commentators, it might just be a passing shower.
15.41 IST: Oops! RAIN DISRUPTS PLAY! As expected the rains have arrived and the players are going off. There was rain forecast and it has not let itself down. Let's hope it clears up soon and we are back on the field as early as possible. Stay tuned for more updates. IND 46/0 in 9.5 overs
15.39 IST: FOUR! Tonked! Fires it just outside off, Dhawan sits low and slog sweeps it over mid-wicket for a boundary. Could be the signs of things to come now.
15.37 IST: FOUR! Lovely shot! Shorter outside off, Rohit rides the bounce and gets it past the diving point fielder for a boundary. Superb shot, that. IND 37/0 in 9 overs
15.35 IST: Right-arm medium pacer Hasan Ali introduced into the attack.
15.34 IST: Imad Wasim gives away 5 runs off his fourth over. IND 32/0 in 8 overs
15.31 IST: Imad Wasim comes to bowl his fourth over. He has been tight so far, not giving too many opportunities to the Indian openers.
15.30 IST: It has been a good start for India so far. Both the openers struggled at the start but now they are slowly getting into an attacking mode. IND 27/0 in 7 overs
15.26 IST: FOUR! Just wide! Amir slants it outside off, Rohit looks to guide it square of the wicket but gets an outside edge which flies just wide of the first slip. Azhar dives to his right but cannot get a hand to it. Another boundary for Rohit.
15.24 IST: FOUR! Poor ball and punished! Imad Wasim bowls it shorter outside off and Rohit stays back and punches it on the up past the diving cover fielder for a boundary. IND 21/0 in 6 overs
15.20 IST: FOUR! Top edged! Shorter in length and with the fine leg up, Rohit was always going to go for the pull. He is a good puller of the ball and he gets it of the top edge over short fine leg for a boundary. IND 15/0 in 5 overs
15.18 IST: This is the fascinating thing about India vs Pakistan game. You can't lose interest at any point of time. IND 9/0 in 4 overs
15.15 IST: Amir gives away 2 runs off his second over. IND 5/0 in 3 overs
15.12 IST: Rohit Sharma opens the face of the bat and gets a single off Amir. Full outside off, Rohit drives it through covers for a couple of runs. That was well timed by him. Shadab looked to chase it from extra cover but when he was collecting he slipped and so did Malik coming from mid off.
15.10 IST: Wasim gives away 3 runs off his first over. IND 3/0 in 2 overs
15.09 IST: Wasim bowls a shorter outside off, Dhawan gets across and cuts it towards point. The fielder at point fumbles and allows it through him. A couple of runs taken.
15.08 IST: Okay, a surprise move from Pakistan. Imad Wasim to bowl with the second new ball from the other end. Interesting.
15.06 IST: What a beautiful first over from Amir. First four balls went away from Rohit Sharma while the fifth came in which left the Indian opener surprised. Amir ends with a maiden over. IND 0/0 in 1 over
15.02 IST: Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma to open the innings for India. Meanwhile, Mohammed Amit to start the proceedings for Pakistan.
14.57 IST: The Edgbaston Cricket Ground is a packed house today and it looks like a sub-continental locality. The crowd is making a lot of noise. Surely, it will be a cracker of a match.
14.56 IST: Time for the National Anthems of both the countries.
14.50 IST: Both the teams are making their way into the ground. The players will pay homage to the people who lost their lives in the dreadful London terror attacks last night.
14.45 IST: Captain's Talk:
Sarfraz Ahmed: I will bowl. Good pitch, won't change in the second innings as well. As a team, we will hopefully do well in this big tournament. I think India-Pakistan is a special game, so hopefully we will play a free game (freely). Our batting is very much better; we are scoring 300s, so hopefully we will do well. Fahim Ashraf is not playing; Shadab Khan is in.
Virat Kohli: It is a big game. I think the side batting second will have pressure. Pretty good wicket, so will stay even throughout. The wicket is nice and hard, so the fast bowlers can come in at any time of the day. Will look to use our main strength, that is batting. It's just a game of cricket for me anywhere in the world. It's not about one individual, and all eleven are as good as each other. If anyone takes any of us lightly, they can take the game away. As I said, we need a complete performance and today is no different. Guys feel normal, the preps are normal (about the IndoPak game). The fact that we don't play them often is there, but their team hasn't changed much, so we have our plans set in place. The five bowlers are Bumrah, Yadav, Bhuvneshwar and Jadeja, and Hardik is the all-rounder.
14.40 IST: Playing XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (captain), Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah
Pakistan: Azhar Ali, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk/captain), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali
14.30 IST: TOSS! Pakistan win the toss and opt to bowl vs India.
Brief Preview:
The Indian team have brought with themselves a cloud of discontent within the dressing room to English shores, as news of skipper Virat Kohli and a few other senior players not being on the same page with head coach Anil Kumble spread like wildfire.
Coming to the much-awaited cricket match, millions of supporters are expected to tune in and watch the teams fight for national pride at Edgbaston on Sunday. Due to diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, the two teams rarely lock horns against each other barring an International Cricket Council (ICC) event, and the hotly fought battle has over the years drawn a wide range of audience.
For almost 18 years, wars stood in between the two outfits playing each other in a bilateral series until the ice was broken in 1978, but even today matches are few and far between. The two sides have not played a bilateral series since 2012-2013, and India have refused to juggle with the idea without an end to "cross border terrorism", which essentially means militant incursions along the disputed Kashmir border.
Not only will a victory for either side mean taking a huge step towards the semi-finals in a four-team group which also has Sri Lanka and South Africa, it will also be a diplomatic point-scoring in terms of the stand-off between the two parties.
On the pitch, India would go into the tie as favourites, as former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has also said -- not only because of their emphatic 45 and 240 -run wins in the two warm-up games, but because the opposition doesn't smell the same anymore.
Pakistan just made it to the Champions Trophy as the eighth and final nation ahead of the West Indies, who missed the bus. (Read Full Preview Here)
