Champions Trophy: Here's how Pakistan have a better record against India

While Team India have dominated Pakistan at World Cups, the 2013 champs don't enjoy the same record in Champions Trophy. Here's why and how

Pakistan’s Abdul Razzaq (left) collides with India’s Rahul Dravid while going for the ball during the ICC Champions Trophy match in 2004 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Pic/Getty Images

India's record against Pakistan in World Cups and World T20s has been phenomenal. But the same can't be said about the Champions Trophy (CT). The current edition which gets underway in England on June 1 and Pakistan hold a definite edge over India in CT.

Pakistan have never beaten India in a World Cup match ever, while in World T20, it is 4-0 in India's favour with no result in one game. However, in the Champions Trophy, Pakistan have a 2-1 head-to-head record in their favour. India lost to Pakistan for the first time in an ICC event at Edgbaston on September 19, 2004. Put in to bat, India could manage to score only 200 after Shoaib Akhtar and Naved-ul-Hasan wrecked havoc, picking four wickets each. Mohammad Sami and Abdul Razzaq too played their part with one wicket apiece.

Dravid, the top-scorer
Rahul Dravid waged a lone battle scoring 67 from 108 balls with just four boundaries, while Ajit Agarkar made 47 lower down the order to somehow get to the 200-run mark. In return, though Irfan Pathan reduced Pakistan to 27-3 by the 10th over, Inzamam-ul-Haq (41) and Yousuf Youhana (81*) added 75 runs for the fourth wicket to stem the rot. Pakistan won with four balls to spare.

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Five years later, India lost their second consecutive CT tie against Pakistan, this time going down by 53 runs, at Centurion (SA) in 2009. Pakistan put a massive 302 for nine riding on Shoaib Malik's 126-ball 128 and Mohammad Yousuf's run-a-ball 87. Ashish Nehra picked four wickets for 55 and Ishant Sharma bagged two for 39, but the Pakistan batsmen were always on top. In reply, Rahul Dravid top-scored with 76 while Gautam Gambhir made 57, but India folded up for 248 in 44.5 overs after Mohammad Amir, Naved-ul-Hasan, Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi all picked two wickets each.

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At last, a win
However, in 2013, India turned the tables in a big way. Put into bat, Pakistan were bundled out for a paltry 165 in 39.4 overs after some brilliant bowling and fielding by the young Indian side. Rain took away some sheen off the contest but India achieved their revised target of 102 off 22 overs in just 19.1 overs for the loss of two wickets to break the Pakistan jinx in Champions Trophy.

The June 4 encounter has generated a lot of hype, like all Indo-Pak encounters do. The current expectations of people of both countries notwithstanding, both skippers —Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Ahmed — have tried to keep the focus on cricket.

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