Dubai: The cavalry unit of the Dubai police was deployed to manage the crowd during the highly anticipated Champions Trophy match between India and Pakistan. However, when the first ball was bowled on Sunday afternoon, the stadium was only partially filled. As the lights illuminated the venue, a surge of fans arrived, and the predominantly Indian audience witnessed their team’s impressive performance, as they once again triumphed over Pakistan in an ICC world event.

Guided by Virat Kohli’s unbeaten century (100 runs off 111 balls, including seven fours), India successfully chased down a target of 241 runs in just 42.3 overs, enhancing their head-to-head record against Pakistan in ICC ODI events to 11 wins and 3 losses. This victory significantly bolstered their chances of reaching the semi-finals, contingent upon a New Zealand victory over Bangladesh on Monday.

The match was yet another highly publicized India-Pakistan clash, attended by film stars, dignitaries, and several members of India’s young T20 squad. However, it did not meet the high expectations set for it. Pakistan, the host nation, faced their second consecutive defeat in the tournament, leaving them on the brink of elimination.

As India approached the end of their run chase, the primary focus shifted to whether Kohli would achieve his century. Hardik Pandya’s late innings only served to frustrate the crowd, who were eager to see Kohli secure his 51st ODI century. When he struck Khushdil Shah for the winning boundary over extra cover, their hopes were fulfilled. Kohli removed his helmet, raised his bat in celebration, closed his eyes, and expressed gratitude.

Kohli’s competitive spirit is particularly ignited in matches against Pakistan. He maintained composure against Abrar Ahmed, recognizing that Pakistan’s sole specialist spinner was also their most formidable threat. He faced no challenges from the pace bowlers this time. Amidst his elegant stroke play, Kohli struck Haris Rauf through the covers, marking his 14,000th ODI run—a timely reminder to his critics not to conflate his performance across different formats.

Rohit Sharma exhibited caution during the first over, demonstrating the limited patience he believes is necessary, given his aggressive style in white-ball cricket.

Rohit consistently raised the stakes. Utilizing his footwork and striking through the line, he aimed to assert his dominance over the bowlers. However, Shaheen Shah Afridi was determined to outsmart Rohit, successfully executing a yorker on his third attempt during the third over, which left the Indian captain with no opportunity to respond.

Although Rohit's innings of 20 runs off 15 balls was modest, he effectively neutralized the threat posed by Naseem Shah. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill, at the opposite end, aggressively challenged Afridi. He produced boundaries with a short-arm pull, a cover drive, and a risky flick during the fast bowler's fourth over. In Afridi's subsequent over, Gill continued to impress with elegant boundaries, including a drive through the covers and another over the bowler's head. By the end of the first ten overs, India was comfortably scoring at six runs per over, with Gill emerging as a rising star while the established Kohli was still finding his rhythm. Following Gill's dismissal for 46 runs off 52 balls, bowled by the mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed's carrom ball, Kohli took control of the innings.

Pakistan arrived with a formidable pace attack. Rauf attempted to unsettle Shreyas Iyer with bouncers, though not with the same intent as Wahab Riaz against Shane Watson, and Iyer was well-prepared. He capitalized on the opportunity, executing a reverse sweep against Pakistan's part-time spinner.

As the ball lost its sheen, the fast bowlers struggled to make an impact. Abrar's initial spell was commendable (7-0-17-1), but he was limited to just ten overs. India managed to navigate his bowling effectively. Additionally, Pakistan's fielding was subpar, with two dropped catches that soon transformed what could have been a competitive target into a comfortably achievable one.

For Pakistan, the loss of three wickets within a mere four overs between the 32nd and 36th overs undermined the efforts of the 104-run partnership between Saud Shakeel and Mohammed Rizwan for the third wicket. This collapse extinguished any hopes Pakistan had of setting a substantial total.

With half of their batting lineup still to come, most teams would not typically slow down, but Pakistan's lack of batting depth and limited big-hitting capabilities in the lower order posed significant challenges.

Read Also: India Defeats Pakistan with Kohli Leading the Charge; Defending Champions Face Early Exit

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