India v Pakistan

At Birmingham, June 4. India won by 124 runs (DLS). Toss: Pakistan.
The reality fell short of the hype as India romped to their seventh successive victory over Pakistan at ICC tournaments. But a crowd of 24,156 (a record for a one-day international at Edgbaston, for less than a week) had few complaints: Indian fans comfortably outnumbered Pakistanis. With rain in the air, Sharma and Dhawan put on 136 inside 25 overs, Yuvraj Singh smashed a 29-ball halfcentury, and Kohli finished with a flourish to make 81 not out from 68. Pakistan's fielding was comically bad - Yuvraj was dropped in the deep on eight, Kohli on 43 - and their bowling little better.

Towards the end, they disintegrated. Mohammad Amir left the field because of cramp, and Wahab Riaz followed him with a twisted ankle, having bowled 8.4 overs for 87, the most expensive spell in Champions Trophy history; he was soon ruled out of the competition. Pandya supplied the icing with three successive sixes in the final over, from Imad Wasim's left-arm spin, as 72 cascaded from the last four. Persistent showers eventually left a target of 289 from 41 overs - a gargantuan task even for a team with more power than Pakistan. Azhar Ali made a desperately orthodox 50, but his colleagues had no answer to India's accuracy. As the sun came out, the innings wilted: the last seven tumbled for 73, leaving Pakistan's coach Mickey Arthur to scowl: "It was a reality check." That was a generous way of putting it.
Man of the Match: Yuvraj Singh.