Don’t write off champions: Nathan Lyon on Kohli’s recent batting slump
The Australian team must be hoping to take advantage of Virat Kohli’s prolonged batting slump when the two sides clash in the five-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar trophy
Riding on Fakhar Zaman's maiden century, Pakistan made 338 runs for the loss of four wickets in 50 overs against India in the ICC Champions trophy final match at The Oval on Sunday.
At helm, Imad Wasim (25*) and Mohammad Hafeez (57*) were batting as Pakistan reached the mammoth total in their first-ever Champions Trophy final against the arch-rivals.
Hafeez struck three sixes and four boundaries in his swashbuckling 37-ball knock, while Wasim also stretched his muscles a bit hitting a six and a boundary.
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However, the duo found the base of their confidence from the strong foundation laid by the left-hander opener Fakhar Zaman.
Zaman scored 114 runs off 106 balls with three sixes and 12 boundaries to lift the London crowd off their feet.
With opener Azhar Ali (59), Zaman put 128-run partnership stand for the opening-wicket. Ali hit a six and six boundaries in his measured but fearless knock.
Following the run out of Ali in the 23rd over, Babar Azam stood tall in front of stumps for a while and made 46 runs at a strike rate of 88.46.
Captain Virat Kohli's plan to field first after winning the toss backfired as bowlers failed to put early pressure on the arch-rivals.
Fast bowler Hardik Pandya trapped the big fish —Zaman — who was caught by Ravindra Jadeja in the 34th over.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kedar Jadhav also contributed by dismissing Shoaib Malik (12) and Azam (46), respectively.
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