India playing Pakistan in an ICC event. Cue, hype overflowing from every corner.
Pick another intro line guys. Every time these two teams play "doesn't get bigger than this" suggests you lied last time? #indVpak #CT13
— Mohan Krishnamoorthy (@mohank) June 15, 2013
While every other TV channel and twitter feed trotted out the usual cliches, the BCCI went left-field with their opening line.
Welcome to Match 10 of the Champions Trophy 2013 between India and South Africa #ct13 #IndvsPak
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 15, 2013
The green and yellow jerseys must have confused them.
Going by Misbah-ul-Haq's presser, Pakistan were playing for pride.
Misbah: India match "like a final." Yes, it is a final. In the sense that it's your final game of the tournament.
— Alternative Cricket (@AltCricket) June 15, 2013
So the british are organizing #indvpak match... Well nothing much has changed!!
— Sumit Sanap (@CarelesSSouL_3) June 15, 2013
Dead rubber; Neutral game; Rainy day; Poor turn-out? Think again. The game was sold out, and access to the ground was affected by the crowds.
Traffic is Misbah-ing all the way...
— Earl of Vadukut (@sidin) June 15, 2013
India bowled first, and got off to a top start with Bhuvneshwar Kumar getting Nasir Jamshed nicking into the slips early. Suresh Raina took the catch and gave Jamshed a raucous send-off.
Expect a clarification very soon: after Raina took the catch, his nephew celebrated #indvspak #ct13
— Bored Cricket (@BoredCricket) June 15, 2013
Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez were nervous at the crease. At least it looked that way to most people.
Inside edge goes for four. Ramiz Raja: "That was a very intelligent shot." Takes blind faith to a whole new level. #ct13 #indvpak
— Rajat Saxena (@duelmaster7) June 15, 2013
It is Inside-Edge-Baston #InsideEDGEbaston @cricketicc @ESPNcricinfo
— Irfan Shahzad (@Irfan_Zad) June 15, 2013
Kamran Akmal's 4 off 16 looks like his catching success rate.
— X-Min (@Sychlops) June 15, 2013
Pakistan had begun to stabilise when rain stopped play after 12 overs. It wasn't a long interruption.
Rain stops. Mohammad Irfan just wiped off some clouds from sky with his hands. #IndVsPak
— Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) June 15, 2013
"Back in two minutes yaar" Kamran Akmal screams before running out to bat.
— Earl of Vadukut (@sidin) June 15, 2013
It was, however, Hafeez who perished first on resumption.
Superb catch by Dhoni. Kamran Akmal watches on, confused as to how a wicket-keeper could grab that. #INDvPAK
— Alternative Cricket (@AltCricket) June 15, 2013
Cricinfo headline: "Hafeez falls immediately after rain". It was probably a bit slippery. #INDvPAK
— Gigs (@AndrewGigacz) June 15, 2013
Kamran followed suit a little later as India's spinners began to assume control. The rain was back after 19 overs, and this time it really poured.
Noah called, please send ark... #cricket #ct13
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) June 15, 2013
It was one of those frustrating breaks when the rain would let up every few minutes, and then resume. The eminent twitterati at Edgbaston kept the rest of the world informed with timely updates.
Play to start in 20 minutes. Number of overs per side not yet known to me...
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) June 15, 2013
Thanks, that was very helpful.
This is Inceptionesque. They show the Ind-WI HLs since the Ind-Pak match is interrupted by rain. In the HLs, match is interrupted by rain.
— Karunakaran (@kskarun) June 15, 2013
Misbah is on 5 for over an hr nw on cricinfo. Hard to find whether the match is stopped due to rain or he is playing his natural game.
— Anand (@anandj_) June 15, 2013
Play eventually resumed, and the game was reduced to 40-overs-a-side. Virat Kohli came on to bowl non-descript leg-rollers
virat kohli does a stellar job of keeping the grand legacy of chris harris and dibbly dobbly alive #ct13
— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravCNNIBN) June 15, 2013
Virat Kohli wearing sun glasses in this weather is more awkward than Andrew Symond zinc-ing lips during night matches. #PakvInd
— Cricket Updates (@cricket_U) June 15, 2013
India's main bowlers had a good day, with the exception of Ishant Sharma.
Ishant's got the number 1 jersey, probably confirming that he's the 1 bowler that never gets it right! #ct13 #IndvPak
— Raunak Kapoor (@RaunakRK) June 15, 2013
Has Ishant Sharma vowed to not cut his hair until he takes a five-fer? We could be in for a long wait. #INDvPAK
— Alternative Cricket (@AltCricket) June 15, 2013
Ravindra Jadeja continued to torment batsmen. He had Misbah bowled, and then trapped Shoaib Malik plumb in front. Shoaib's desperate review did not save him.
Even Stuart Broad is tutting at that review. #ct13
— Pavilion Opinions (@pavilionopinion) June 15, 2013
So far the most sensible and longest innings in this match has been played by the rain.
— Anand (@anandj_) June 15, 2013
India made short work of the lower middle order, and before long, Pakistan's last man was at the crease.
I feel sorry for Mohammad Irfan. It must be tricky trying to bat when you get a head rush every time you bend down to take guard. #ct13
— Pavilion Opinions (@pavilionopinion) June 15, 2013
Pakistan were dismissed in the 40th over for 165. The revised target for India was 168 in 40 overs - just enough runs to give the bowlers a chance.
Misbah (to other players) : "Come on Lad!" | Misbah (to Mohammad Irfan) : "Come on Ladder!" #IndvsPak #PakvInd #CT13
— Somya Sharma (@Somya07) June 15, 2013
However, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan began brightly once again.
Dhawan applauds from the non-striker's end after that Irfan delivery. Not sure if that was for Rohit's leave or Kamran holding on..
— Faras Ghani (@farasG) June 15, 2013
India had rolled along to 47 for 0 in 8.1 overs when the rain returned.
I mean, even god is crying from the heavens that Sachin Tendulkar isn't playing #indvpak
— Simran Bedi (@SimBedi) June 15, 2013
India faced a revised target on resumption, and quickly lost Rohit to Saeed Ajmal. Before Pakistan could build on that breakthrough, it began raining for the umpteenth time in the day.
Computer used to calculate Duckworth Lewis adjusted score breaks down. So #indvpak match called off
— The UnReal Times (@TheUnRealTimes) June 15, 2013
Duckworth Lewis are the pioneers of cloud based computing
— Ajith (@ajith27) June 15, 2013
After a heavy, dispiriting squall, the clouds suddenly gave way to blue skies and a spectacular rainbow. Play resumed with India chasing 102 in 22 overs.
Edgbaston's weather today has changed more often than a woman's mind #ind #cl13 #indvpak
— Sundeep P. Jaiswal (@sundeeppjaiswal) June 15, 2013
Shikhar Dhawan fell after strolling to 48 off 41 balls. Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik took India past the finish line to complete one of the more forgettable games between the two two sides.
Pakistan fought valiantly for rain, but in the end they fell 10 minutes shy of a massive, undeserved no result. India by eight wickets.
— Burton DeWitt (@bsd987) June 15, 2013
Nitin Sundar is social media manager at ESPNcricinfo