ASIA CUP: India’s Super 2

Colombo, September 11

India beat rivals Pakistan by 228 runs after Virat Kohli passed 13,000 in One-day Internationals en route his 47th century and KL Rahul marked his return from injury with a ton in a lopsided Asia Cup Super Four clash here today.

Pakistan’s batsmen, needing a daunting 357 for victory after Kohli made 122 not out off 94 balls and Rahul remained unbeaten on 111 off 106, never really got going and finished on 128 with Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf both absent through injury.

India spinner Kuldeep Yadav (5/25) ripped through Pakistan’s line-up following a brief rain interruption after Jasprit Bumrah removed Imam-ul-Haq and Hardik Pandya castled the dangerous Babar Azam.

India had reached 147/2 in 24.1 overs after half-centuries by skipper Rohit Sharma (56) and fellow opener Shubman Gill (58) on Sunday but rain meant the match would finish on the reserve day and the runs continued to flow after a delayed start.

Kohli and Rahul saw off the threat of Pakistan’s pace attack, missing Rauf due to a right flank problem, and the duo targeted the spinners on an improving wicket to post 356/2 in 50 overs.

Rahul and Kohli’s unbeaten 233-run partnership for the third wicket was the highest stand in the Asia Cup.

“KL started better, I was trying to bring him on strike and playing second fiddle,” Kohli said.

Rahul, returning to the side after surgery for a quadriceps injury in May, flexed his muscles against spinners Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan and stepped down the wicket to flick the latter for a massive six after getting his half-century. India raised the tempo amid the threat of more showers and cruised to the 300-run mark in 45 overs before Rahul — who made the team due to Shreyas Iyer’s back issue — reached his sixth hundred and raised his bat like a sword. Kohli then became the fifth batsman and the quickest to make 13,000 runs in the format and celebrated his own century shortly afterward.

Brief scores: India: 356/2 (Kohli 122*, KL Rahul 111*; Shadab 1/71); Pakistan: 128 all out in 23 overs (Zaman 27; Kuldeep 5/25). — Reuters

267Innings Kohli needed to get to 13,000 ODI runs. He broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 321 innings to become the fastest to the landmark

5Kohli became only the fifth batter to cross the 13,000-run mark after Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting (341 innings), Kumar Sangakkara (363) and Sanath Jayasuriya (416)

47ODI tons for Kohli, who is just two behind Tendulkar’s record

228Runs was the victory margin — India’s biggest against Pakistan. The previous biggest was a 140-run victory in 2008

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#Cricket #KL Rahul #Pakistan #Virat Kohli