IND vs PAK, ICC World Cup 2019 HIGHLIGHTS: India beat Pakistan by 89-runs (DLS); makes it 7-0 in WC

Background

World Cup 2019, IND vs PAK: After having their last fixture against New Zealand washed out, the Indian team will be raring to take the field when they face arch-rivals Pakistan in the most anticipated clash of the ongoing World Cup at the Old Trafford on Sunday.

Having secured convincing wins over South Africa and Australia in their first two matches, the Men in Blue were not even able to get on the field for their third match against the Black Caps which was called off due to rain.

Against Pakistan, India have a perfect record as they have won all their six encounters in the previous editions of the showpiece event and thus, Virat Kohli's men would be brimming with confidence considering their past record against the arch-rivals.

However, it would not be that easy this Sunday as they would be without the services of their in-form opener Shikhar Dhawan. The opener got injured during the match-winning knock he played against Australia at The Oval in London on June 9. He has been sidelined for at least two-three matches with a fractured thumb.

In his absence, K.L. Rahul will open the innings with seasoned campaigner Rohit Sharma. Kohli would be hoping that the duo give them a solid start and lay the platform for him and the other batsmen in the middle-order.

"The emotion, the colour, the noise – it's all there. It's incredible."

India versus Pakistan. The great rivals meet again. #TeamIndia #WeHaveWeWill #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/iFG52CbNeS

— ICC (@ICC) June 16, 2019

India's bowling has also been pretty good with all the four bowlers -- Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav -- among the wickets.

Pakistan, on the other hand, would be aiming to break the jinx and secure their first World Cup victory against India. However, it would require a formidable performance for the 1992 champions to overcome Kohli's men.

The Sarfaraz Ahmad-led side made a horrible start to their World Cup campaign as they suffered a crushing defeat against West Indies in their tournament opener. However, they came back strongly and registered a remarkable win against England. But against Australia, they failed to maintain their consistency and had to face a 41-run defeat in Taunton.

Against the reigning champions, Pakistan bowlers made a strong comeback in the latter half of the innings, but it was the batting effort that let them down. And so, Sarfaraz may be tempted to bring in Haris Sohail into the playing XI in place of Shoaib Malik, who has failed in each of his three outings in the tournament so far.

???? #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/h7gosmdqCS

— ICC (@ICC) June 16, 2019

Also, one thing which Pakistan would definitely want to improve is their fielding. Their fielding has not been upto the mark and they have dropped many catches in the four games they have played so far.

Going by the record and form of both the teams, the odds look completely in favour of India but Pakistan -- capable of beating any opposition on their day -- will look to replicate their 2017 Champions Trophy final performance.

However, one thing which can ruin the mood of both the players and the fans is rain. The weather forecast for Sunday is not great and there are chances of rain in the afternoon which can play a big role in the result of the match. Teams batting second have won four of the last five matches at Old Trafford and with rain expected to play its part, both captains will be tempted to field first.

Squads:

India: Virat Kohli (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, Vijay Shankar, Rohit Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav

Pakistan: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c, wk), Asif Ali, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Imam-ul-Haq, Shadab Khan, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz, Haris Sohail, Imad Wasim, Fakhar Zaman

00:05 AM (IST)  •  17 Jun 2019

India beat Pakistan by 89 runs (DLS) to make it 7-0 in against the arch-rivals in the ICC World Cup as the 27 years old tradition continues. The match was reduced to 40 overs with a revised target of 302, which meant that Pakistan required 136 runs from five overs. Hitman Sharma has been awarded as the player of the match for his heroic ton.

00:08 AM (IST)  •  17 Jun 2019

Results of India v Pakistan in Men's World Cups: 1992: 🇮🇳 1996: 🇮🇳 1999: 🇮🇳 2003: 🇮🇳 2011: 🇮🇳 2015: 🇮🇳 2019:… https://t.co/fTr5Imnz9Z

23:38 PM (IST)  •  16 Jun 2019

After brief interruption by rain, the covers have come off and the play will resume in about five minutes. The match has been reduced to a 40 overs game. Pakistan will require 136 more from 5 overs to win. India has already won the game and its 7-0 against the arch-rivals.

23:02 PM (IST)  •  16 Jun 2019

India-Pak WC results - India won by... 1992: 43 runs 1996: 39 runs 1999: 47 runs 2003: 6 wkts 2011 : 29 runs 2015: 76 runs... Pakistan are 86 runs behind DLS par score currently. This will be India's biggest victory over Pakistan, in terms of runs.

22:59 PM (IST)  •  16 Jun 2019

As we stand at rain interruption, India just four wickets away from victory. Pakistan par score had to be 252 in 35 overs, they are 86 runs behind the par score according to the D/L method. If the play is abandoned due to rain, Virat-led India will be declared winner.