LIVE: Abrar bamboozles Gill, IND two down chasing 242 against PAK

Having lost the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener against New Zealand in Karachi, Mohammad Rizwan and co are in search of a win to keep semi-final hopes alive.

Pakistan vs India: Champions Trophy 2025: Match Recap

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group-A clash between Pakistan and India in Dubai was filled with drama, milestones, and critical moments. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the match:

Pakistan’s Batting Performance

• Pakistan Wins Toss and Opts to Bat First:
  • Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan elected to bat after winning the toss.
• Babar Azam’s Solid Start:
  • Babar Azam showcased his attacking intent with a couple of beautiful boundaries, including a flick through midfield and a cover drive off Harshit Rana.
• Early Breakthroughs for India:
  • Hardik Pandya provided the first breakthrough by dismissing Babar Azam, caught behind by wicketkeeper KL Rahul.
  • Imam-ul-Haq (10) was run out by a brilliant direct hit from Axar Patel.
• Key Partnership Between Rizwan and Shakeel:
  • Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel formed a crucial 104-run partnership for the third wicket, with Shakeel registering his fourth ODI half-century.
• India Strikes Back:
  • Axar Patel dismissed Rizwan with a deceptive, flighted delivery, taking out Pakistan’s skipper.
  • Hardik Pandya struck again, removing Saud Shakeel, who had also scored a half-century.
  • Ravindra Jadeja joined the attack, cleaning up Tayyab Tahir to leave Pakistan at 165/5.
• Lower-Order Fightback:
  • Khushdil Shah (38) provided some resistance in the lower order but was eventually dismissed by Harshit Rana.
  • Pakistan were bowled out for 241.

India’s Chase and Key Moments

• Early Breakthrough for Pakistan:
  • Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi gave them an early breakthrough, dismissing Rohit Sharma for a duck in the powerplay with a late delivery that rattled his stumps.
• Shubman Gill’s Solid Knock:
  • Shubman Gill, who had been in good form, counterattacked and was closing in on a half-century.
  • However, Abrar Ahmed delivered a brilliant leg spinner that breached Gill’s defense and took out his off-stump, halting India’s momentum.
• Virat Kohli Reaches Milestone:
  • During the chase, Virat Kohli crossed the 14,000-run mark in ODIs, becoming the third batter in history to do so after Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.
• Kuldeep Yadav’s Impact with the Ball:
  • Kuldeep Yadav was the star bowler for India, taking crucial wickets in his spell. He dismissed Salman Ali Agha and Shaheen Shah Afridi off consecutive deliveries before claiming Naseem Shah to help dismiss Pakistan for 241.

Conclusion

India’s bowlers, led by Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya, effectively restricted Pakistan to a modest total. With Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli making significant contributions, India remains in control in the Champions Trophy 2025 clash. Pakistan will need to regroup and focus on their bowling performance in the second inning to keep their semifinal hopes alive.