India thrashed Pakistan by 228 runs in their Super Four match of the Asia Cup 2023 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday.
India's bowlers bowled Pakistan out for just 128 in 32 overs, with Kuldeep Yadav taking a career-best 5 for 25.
In reply, India scored 356 for 2 in 50 overs, with Virat Kohli scoring 122 not out and KL Rahul scoring 111 not out.
Kohli and Rahul put on a record 233-run partnership for the second wicket, the highest in Asia Cup history.
This is India's biggest win over Pakistan in ODIs, surpassing the 273-run win in the 2004 Asia Cup.
The match
India won the toss and elected to bowl first. They got off to a good start, with Jasprit Bumrah dismissing Imam-ul-Haq for 9 in the fourth over.
Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman put on a 36-run partnership, but both batsmen were dismissed by Hardik Pandya in the 11th over.
Pakistan's innings then collapsed, and they were bowled out for just 128 in 32 overs.
Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers, taking 5 for 25.
In reply, India got off to a solid start, with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill scoring 56 and 58 respectively.
Kohli and Rahul then took over, putting on a record 233-run partnership for the second wicket.
Kohli scored 122 not out, his 47th ODI century, also completed his 11,000 runs and Rahul scored 111 not out.
India reached their target of 356 with 20 overs to spare.
The impact of the win
The win is a major boost for India's chances of winning the Asia Cup. They have now won all four of their matches in the tournament and are the only unbeaten team.
The win will also give India a lot of confidence going into their next match against Bangladesh. Bangladesh are a strong team, but India will be confident of beating them after their performance against Pakistan.
The win is also a personal milestone for Kohli, who has now scored 11,000 runs in ODIs. He is only the 11th batsman to achieve this feat.
Kohli is in the form of his life and will be looking to continue his good run in the Asia Cup. He will be a key player for India if they are to win the tournament.
The reaction
The win was met with delight by Indian fans, who took to social media to express their happiness.
"What a performance by India! They were simply too good for Pakistan," tweeted one fan.
Another fan said, "This is India's best performance in the Asia Cup in years. They are the clear favorites to win the tournament now."
The win was also praised by former cricketers including Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar.
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