India vs Pakistan: Players, fans display spirit of cricket at Edgbaston
The cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan is often regarded as the fiercest in any sport, but their ICC Champions Trophy match proved to be a cricket carnival for both sets of fans.
The last week has not been quite pleasant for England. From multiple terrorist attacks to the rising number of injured individuals, the country is currently in a state of shock. (VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS | POINTS TABLE)
As a result, it did not help the situation that Birmingham was turned into a make-shift battleground when rivals India and Pakistan faced each other in the ICC Champions Trophy on Sunday.
The two nations have shared an extremely volatile relationship both on and off the cricket pitch over the years. Thanks to the constant bickering of the respective cricket boards and the underlying political tension, it is always assumed that the match may experience some show of hatred from both sides.
However, cricket proved to be the ‘great leveller’ once again as a record-breaking crowd of 24,156 flocked to the Edgbaston Cricket Ground to witness the spectacle.
The crowd’s enthusiasm was palpable from the very start of the game. Armed with vuvuzelas and huge flags, fans from both sides showed their passion for the game and even the rain stoppages could not dampen their spirit.
In the stands, the Indian blue outnumbered Pakistani green by a huge margin and at the end of the day, they were the ones celebrating. Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh played brilliantly to guide India to a mammoth total while the bowlers produced a disciplined performance to clinch the game by 124 runs (D/L method).
The encounter was indeed quite one-sided, but the essence of match was truly captured by a few words written on a placard outside the stadium - “London, Manchester, Mumbai: Terror Never Wins.”