World Cup: Rohit Sharma’s majestic ton helps India extend winning streak against hapless Pakistan

India produced a superb all-round performance to outplay Pakistan by 89 runs in a World Cup match in Manchester on Sunday and extended their winning record against their arch-rivals to 7-0 in the history of the tournament.

The rain-curtailed encounter finished with Pakistan on 212/6 after 40 overs, handing India their biggest win against the men in green in World Cup history (by margin of runs).

The star of the match was Rohit Sharma who, ably supported by KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, hit his second hundred in three innings to leave Pakistan reeling at the half-way stage. Sharma’s 140 was the centrepiece of India’s 336/5 at Old Trafford.

India were dealt an early blow when the second innings began as Bhuvneshwar Kumar limped off the field after bowling four balls in his third over. The seamer suffered tightness in his hamstring and did not return to bowl. But Vijay Shankar, coming on to replace Kumar, struck with his first ball to send Imam-ul-haq back.

Later in the evening, Kuldeep Yadav sparked a dramatic Pakistan collapse as India remained on course to extend their unbeaten World Cup record against their bitter rivals on Sunday.

The left-arm spinner struck twice in quick succession as Pakistan, who had been 117 for one, lost four wickets for 12 runs in 18 balls.

Fakhar Zaman (62) and Babar Azam (48) repaired the damage, but both fell in quick succession to Yadav after they had just started to up the tempo.

Babar was bowled by a superb delivery that turned between bat and pad before left-handed opener Fakhar carelessly miscued a sweep off Yadav to short fine leg.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya then took two wickets in two balls, Mohammad Hafeez caught at deep square leg before Shoaib Malik played on for his second successive duck – a wicket greeted with huge roars by the massed ranks of India fans in a capacity crowd.

Kohli’s milestone

Meanwhile, Kohli became the quickest player to 11,000 One-Day International runs during his innings of 77.

The India captain reached the landmark in his 222nd innings, smashing compatriot Sachin Tendulkar’s previous record of 276 innings.

Pakistan left-arm quick Mohammad Amir was his side’s only threat with three for 47 despite two early warnings for running on the pitch.

Sharma and KL Rahul (57) got India off to a fine start with a first-wicket stand of 137 after Pakistan won the toss.

Their efforts were all the more impressive as they were opening together for the first time at this level.

Regular opener Shikhar Dhawan was sidelined with a thumb injury sustained while making a century in a victory over champions Australia last time out.

“I won’t lie I was nervous. There was hype about this game,” Rahul said. “Conditions haven’t been the best, the wicket has been under covers so we were thinking 280 was a good score. To get over 300 gives us a boost.”

Sharma, who made 122 in India’s opening win over South Africa and 57 against Australia, went to fifty in just 34 balls against Pakistan. He got there in style with a six over long-on and a cut four, off successive deliveries from recalled leg-spinner Shadab Khan.

Rahul also brought his fifty up with a six, against off-spinner Shoaib Malik. But he fell soon afterwards to Wahab Riaz who struck one ball after receiving two official warnings in consecutive deliveries for running on the pitch.

Extraordinary Sharma

Riaz, bowling from around the wicket, had Rahul chipping a tame catch to mid-off. Sharma went into the 90s with an extraordinary square-cut six over paceman Hasan Ali. Then a single off Shadab saw him to an 85-ball hundred including three sixes and nine fours. It was Sharma’s 24th ODI century.

But a quickfire stand of 98 with Kohli ended when Sharma, trying a needlessly extravagant scoop, flicked Hasan straight to Wahab at short fine leg. An annoyed Sharma slapped his bat against his pads in frustration.

Rain stopped play with India 305 for four in the 47th over, with Kohli then 71 not out. But to the relief of tournament organisers, as well as a capacity crowd, with a World Cup record four matches having already been washed out, play resumed after 55 minutes with no overs lost.

Kohli added just six more runs to his score before, trying to hook Amir, he ‘walked’ for a catch behind by Pakistan captain and wicket-keeper Sarfaraz Ahmed despite replays appearing to show he didn’t make contact with the ball.

Pakistan are currently ninth in the 10-team table and realistically need to beat India if they are to maintain their hopes of a top-four finish from the round-robin group stage that will see them into the semi-finals.

More than a billion fans were set to watch the match on television, while there were some 800,000 applications for tickets to watch the match at an Old Trafford ground where the maximum capacity is 26,000.

The most any side had made batting second to win a World Cup match is Ireland’s 329/7 against England at Bangalore in 2011 and that record remains in tact.

(With AFP inputs)