(MENAFN- Arab Times) ADELAIDE Australia Feb 15 (AFP): India''s bowlers backed-up a landmark century by Virat Kohli as the defending champions continued their World Cup domination of Pakistan with a 76-run win at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday. Kohli hit 107 the first century by an Indian in World Cup matches against their arch-rivals to lift his team to an imposing 300 for seven after they elected to bat on an even-paced pitch in their World Cup opener.
Mohammad Shami picked up four wickets and Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma two each as Pakistan were shot out for 224 with three overs to spare as they suffered their sixth consecutive World Cup defeat by India dating back to 1992. Skipper Misbah-ul Haq played a lone hand with a valiant 76 off 84 balls that ensured Pakistan did not surpass their heaviest World Cup defeat a 112-run reverse against England in Cape Town in 2003. Kohli showed why he is one of the most feared batsmen in modern cricket as he survived two dropped catches to notch up his 22nd one-day international century in his 151st match at this level. Opener Shikhar Dhawan made 73 and fellow left-hander Suresh Raina smashed 74 off 56 balls in front of a sell-out crowd of over 47000 in a Pool B game that was beamed to an estimated 2.5 billion viewers across the world. Kohli surpassed Sachin Tendulkar''s 98 at Centurion in 2003 to become the only Indian to score a century against Pakistan in the World Cup. The Indian vice-captain put on 129 for the second wicket with Dhawan and 110 for the third with Raina to leave Pakistan chasing a target of six runs an over under lights and overcast conditions. Pakistan whose most successful World Cup chase was 262 against New Zealand in 1992 sent Younis Khan to open the batting but the gamble backfired as the veteran was dismissed for six. Ahmed Shehzad (47) and Haris Sohail (36) put on 68 for the second wicket but the fall of four quick wickets reduced Pakistan to 103 for five in the 25th over. After off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had Haris caught in the slips seamer Umesh Yadav removed Shehzad and Sohaib Maqsood in three balls through catches at point and slips. Umar Akmal failed to score as India earned a favourable review by the third umpire for a thin edge caught by captain and wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind off Ravindra Jadeja. Pakistan''s most experienced pair of Misbah and Shahid Afridi revived their team''s hopes by adding 46 for the sixth wicket but the recovery came too late. Seamer Mohammad Shami dismissed Afridi (22) caught off a full toss by Kohli running back in the covers and four balls later had Wahab Riaz edging to Dhoni. Kohli was let-off on the long-on fence by Yasir Shah on three and again by wicket-keeper Akmal after he had made 76. He was finally caught by Akmal in the 46th over. Raina holed out in the deep two overs later before three wickets fell with the score on 296. However India still managed to add 83 runs in the last 10 overs. Earlier Dhawan and Rohit Sharma made a slow but steady start against the spot-on Pakistani seamers with an opening stand of 34 by the eighth over. Sharma the only batsman with two 200s in one-day internationalshad made 15 when he top-edged an intented pull off hard-working seamer Sohail Khan and was caught at mid-off. Sohail a 30-year-old who played the last of his five one-dayers in 2011 conceded just 15 runs in his first five overs. He finished with creditable figures of five for 55 from 10 overs. Meanwhile Fans slammed Pakistan after a 76-run defeat to arch-rivals India in their opening World Cup match in Adelaide on Sunday claiming their beloved team can''t bat bowl or field. Millions of Pakistanis across the country watched the match at home and in restaurants which had installed giant TV screens but the defeat the sixth in six World Cup meetings frustrated them. ''I had huge excitement to watch this match which Pakistan has lost'' said Farhat Irshad 22 who came to watch the match in a restaurant in the capital Islamabad where up to 200 fans had gathered. Irshad said she had a bet with her friends on a Pakistan win which she lost. ''Now I will have to arrange a party for them (her friends). I am really saddened but whatever happens we love our cricket team.'' The defending champions made 300 for seven from their 50 overs after electing to bat. In reply Pakistan were bowled out for 224 with skipper Misbah-ul-Haq top scoring with 76. ''We had a lot of expectations that Pakistan might change history as we have always lost to India in World Cups but they did not make it possible'' added Irshad. Another Islamabad native Tahir Qureshi 32 blamed everything for defeat: ''Poor bowling poor fielding and poor batting''. ''They had no planning. They came to the ground with no planning on the batting order'' Qureshi told AFP. ''Promoting Younis Khan as an opener was foolish you saw the result (Younis made six)'' Qureshi said. ''The middle order batting completely failed.'' Owais Ahmad 20 an enthusiastic fan in Islamabad said he had been optimistic about Pakistan ending their World Cup drought against India. ''But see what has happened'' he told AFP. India vs Pakistan World Cup Scoreboard ADELAIDE Australia Feb 15 (AFP): Scoreboard of the World Cup Pool B match between India and Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday: INDIA innings: R. Sharma c Misbah b Sohail 15 S. Dhawan run out (Misbah) 73 V. Kohli c Akmal b Sohail 107 S. Raina c Haris b Sohail 74 M. Dhoni c Misbah b Sohail 18 R. Jadeja b Riaz 3 A. Rahane b Sohail 0 R. Ashwin not out 1 Mohammad Shami not out 3 Extras: (lb2 w3 nb1) 6 Total (for 7 wkts 50 overs) 300 Did not bat: U Yadav M Sharma Fall of wickets: 1-34 (R. Sharma) 2-163 (Dhawan) 3-273 (Kohli) 4-284 (Raina) 5-296 (Jadeja) 6-296 (Dhoni) 7-296 (Rahane). Bowling: Irfan 10-0-58-0 (1nb 2w) Sohail 10-0-55-5 (1w) Afridi 8-0-50-0 Riaz 10-0-49-1 Yasir 8-0-60-0 Haris 4-0-26-0. PAKISTAN innings: Ahmed Shehzad c Jadeja b Yadav 47 Younis Khan c Dhoni b Shami 6 Haris Sohail c Raina b Ashwin 36 Misbah-ul Haq c Rahane b Shami 76 Sohaib Maqsood c Raina b Yadav 0 Umar Akmal c Dhoni b Jadeja 0 Shahid Afridi c Kohli b Shami 22 Wahab Riaz c Dhoni b Shami 4 Yasir Shah c Yadav b Mohit 13 Sohail Khan c Yadav b Mohit 7 Mohammad Irfan not out 1 Extras: (lb1 w10 nb1) 12 Total (all out 47 overs) 224 Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Younis) 2-79 (Haris) 3-102 (Shehzad) 4-102 (Maqsood) 5-103 (Akmal) 6-149 (Afridi) 7-154 (Riaz) 8-203 (Yasir) 9-220 (Misbah) 10-224 (Sohail) Bowling: Yadav 10-0-50-2 (5w) Shami 9-1-35-4 (4w) Mohit 9-0-35-2 (1nb) Raina 1-0-6-0 Ashwin 8-3-41-1 (1w) Jadeja 10-0-56-1 Result: India won by 76 runs Toss: India Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (ENG) and Ian Gould (ENG) TV umpire: Steve Davis (AUS) Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)
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