Virat Kohli hit a composed unbeaten century as India beat Pakistan by six wickets which put them on the cusp of reaching the Champions Trophy semi-finals and left their opponents on the brink of elimination.
Pakistan mustered a rather unthreatening total of 241 after they won the toss and batted first, lacking power, intent, and belief against a disciplined India attack.
Saud Shakeel and Muhammad Rizwan top scored with 62 and 46 respectively, but they fashioned them off a rather ponderous 76 and 77 balls each.
Khushdil Shah boosted the total with a late cameo – whacking 38 off 39 balls – but Pakistan’s total felt light at a ground where the average first-innings winning score in one-day internationals is 258.
Spinner Kuldeep Yadav finished the pick of India’s bowlers with 3-40 while Hardik Pandya’s economical eight overs brought him 2-31.
Pakistan’s hopes flickered when a brutal yorker from left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi swung into India captain Rohit Sharma’s middle stump in the fifth over.
However, from that point, it was a relative cakewalk for India as Kohli guided them to the target with his usual elan en route to his 51st ODI century.
Abrar Ahmed produced a fizzing leg break to dismiss Shubman Gill for 46 with a beauty although it only staved off the inevitable.
Shreyas Iyer made an enterprising 56 but the day belonged to Kohli as his hundred off 111 balls, featuring seven fours, guided India home with 45 balls to spare.
Ever the showman, Kohli gave the crowd at the Dubai International Stadium a signature moment as he reached three figures in the process of wrapping up the win.
With two runs left for victory and Kohli on 98, the 36-year-old thrashed a powerful drive off Khushdil through extra cover for four to send the India fans wild.
India has two victories from their opening two group matches and sits top of Group A while Pakistan has lost both and is at the foot of the table.
Should New Zealand beat Bangladesh on Monday then India’s place in the knockout phase will be assured along with the Kiwis, and Pakistan will be out.
Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, who made 56, put the chase back on track with a stand of 114 after Gill’s departure when leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed bowled the opener.
India bowled out Pakistan for 241 in 49.4 overs as left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav returned figures of 3-40.
Pakistan elected to bat first on what seemed a sluggish pitch but a slow approach from the batsman rarely threatened the Indian attack despite a 104-run partnership between Saud Shakeel (62) and Mohammad Rizwan (46).
Khushdil Shah’s late cameo of 38 added some runs to the total before the innings folded with his wicket.
The Pakistan openers began cautiously despite a wayward start by Indian pace spearhead Mohammed Shami who bowled five wides in an 11-ball first over.
Shami, who returned figures of 5-53 in the win over Bangladesh, seemed to struggle with his ankle in his third over and left the field, returning soon after to India’s great relief.
Babar Azam scored 23 and fellow opener Imam-ul-Haq was run out on 10 before Shakeel and Rizwan got their heads down as Pakistan managed just one boundary in nearly 10 overs.
“When Saud and I were batting, we wanted to go deep. But our shot selection was bad and we lost wickets, which is why we were kept to 240,” said Rizwan.
A full house was expected at the venue but there were empty seats on view during the match.
Pakistan next faces Bangladesh on Thursday in Rawalpindi while India takes on New Zealand in Dubai on March 2.
