Images from the India-Pakistan World Cup game in Manchester on Sunday.
Rohit Sharma produced an elegant hundred before Kuldeep Yadav flummoxed the Pakistani batsmen as India inflicted a humiliating 89 run defeat via the Duckworth-Lewis method on their arch-rivals in a much-hyped World Cup game, which eventually turned to be a lop-sided affair, in Manchester, on Sunday.
Chasing a stiff 337 run target, Pakistan were already down and out when rain stopped play after 35 overs. They had scored just 166 runs for loss of six wickets, nowhere near the DLS par-score of 252.
When play resumed, the match was reduced to 40 overs with a revised target of 302, which meant that Pakistan required 136 runs from 5 overs.
Imad Wasim (46) and Shadab Khan (20) remained unbeaten to end at 212/6, handing India a comprehensive victory in the rain-hit match.
If Rohit pummelled a pedestrian Pakistan attack with a brilliant 140 off 113 balls in India's 336/5, young spinner Kuldeep (2/32) broke the rival batting spine by removing the well-set batsmen Fakhar Zaman (62) and Babar Azam (48) in successive overs.
The Indian vice-captain scored his 24th ODI hundred while K L Rahul (57) played perfect second fiddle in an opening partnership of 137 runs.
Skipper Virat Kohli switched gears effortlessly during his 77 off 65 balls and also became the quickest to score 11,000 ODI runs, eclipsing a 17-year record held by the iconic Sachin Tendulkar.
This is India's seventh win over Pakistan in the World Cup and like the previous six times, the quality of the contest did not live up to the hype created.
Pakistan Skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed erred in his decision making throughout, first with team selection and then by opting to field. The defensive approach throughout the game did not help his side.
Pakistan from 117/1 slumped to 129/5 in no time and their fans started trudging out of the Old Trafford stadium.
Hardik Pandya (2/44) proved his all-round worth by removing veterans Mohammed Hafeez (9) and Shoaib Malik (0) off successive deliveries ensuring that Bhuvneshwar Kumar's hobbling out due to a stiff hamstring did not affect India. Vijay Shankar also made a handy contribution with two wickets on his World Cup debut.
Earlier, despite heavy rains and overcast conditions during the past few days, the pitch had very little moisture and turned out to be a batting beauty which Rohit and the other Indian batsmen exploited to the fullest.
Mohammed Amir (3/47) pitched the ball up and maintained discipline despite a couple of official warnings for running onto the pitch while Wahab Riaz (1/71) and Hasan Ali (1/84) bowled short consistently.
Courtesy Amir, Pakistan did make a comeback in the final few overs as India managed only 38 runs in the final five overs. Vijay Shankar (15 off 15 balls) struggled with his timing, failing to read Amir's cutters.
Pakistan's strategy to field two spinners -- Imad Wasim (0/49) and leg-spinner Shadab Khan (0/61) -- didn't work as they were unable to build the pressure in the middle overs.
The Pakistan bowlers kept it short to Rohit, who time and again pulled and cut with disdain, during his innings that had 14 boundaries and three sixes.
Unlike the Champions Trophy final, which India lost to Pakistan, the Indians were positive from the start.
Rahul pulled Amir for a boundary and then Rohit creamed off runs from Hasan Ali. Rohit treated the fans to some deft late cuts, back cuts and upper cuts and the occasional slog over deep mid-wicket.
When Riaz came to bowl, he erred both in line and length as his strategy to pepper the Indian batsmen with short pitch stuff backfired. He lost rhythm after getting a warning for stepping onto the dangerous area and had to come round the wicket.
Riaz provided Pakistan with the initial breakthrough when he had Rahul caught in the covers. Hardik Pandya scored 26 off 19 balls during his hit and miss effort while Mahendra Singh Dhoni edged one off Amir behind the stumps after which rain stopped proceedings briefly.
