India hit the ground running in the defense of their Champions Trophy title after they put in a superlative performance against Pakistan. The performance was a brutal exhibition of ball-striking from Captain Virat Kohli and a returning Yuvraj Singh which simply crushed their arch-rivals.
The result, a 124 run victory for the men in blue might have matched pre-match expectations but what was shocking to see was a record attendance of 24, 165 who throbbed into the Edgbaston and stayed there throughout the day that saw frequent rain stoppages.
As for Pakistan, they were never really in the contest. They put in a dismal performance in all the three departments of batting, bowling, and fielding. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s side looked out of sorts throughout the game and chasing a reduced 289 from 41 overs seemed like an uphill task for them. Their run chase began on a good note after openers Azhar Ali and Ahmed Shehzad began cautiously. However, once India got rid of both of them, the entire Pakistani team dissolved in thin air.
(Image Courtesy: Getty Images)
Meanwhile, this perhaps was just the start that the Indian contingent needed. Now, with added confidence and with the first step towards defending their title taken, the men in blue would be looking forward to continuing their solidarity on the pitch when they come up against another neighbor, Sri Lanka, on Thursday.
(Featured Image Courtesy: Straight Out The Gate)
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