ICC Champions Trophy history of arch-rivals IND Vs PAK

ICC Champions Trophy history is, of course, siding with Pakistan. They have never lost to India in six editions of this championship. Pakistan's first win in this tournament came at Edgbaston in September, 2004. Chasing 201 for a win, Mohammad Yousuf (then known as Yousuf Youhana) scored an unbeaten 81 to anchor Pakistan to a three-wicket victory with four balls to spare.

In head-to-head, Pakistan made it 2-0 against India in the Champions Trophy with a 54-run win at the Supersport Park in Centurion in September 2009. Shoaib Malik scored a 126-ball 128 to give Pakistan's experienced bowling attack 302 runs to defend. Two run outs -- Gautam Gambhir (57) and Rahul Dravid (76) - doomed India. Suresh Raina's 46 went in vain as Mohammed Aamer, Naved-ul-Hasan, Saaed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi picked up two wickets apiece to consign India to a big defeat.

Purely on form, India have a good chance to pull one back at Pakistan this time. A win will mean India top group B with six full points and travel to Cardiff to play the No. 2 team in group A. India opened their Champions Trophy campaign against South Africa in Cardiff with a 26-run victory on June 6.

Like most encounters between the arch-rivals, Saturday's match will be a clash between Pakistan's bowlers and India's batsmen. With rain soaking Edgbaston on Wednesday and Thursday and the sun playing hide and seek, conditions may not be ideal for high scores. But India will back their batsmen largely because they have posted 300-plus scores thrice in four games, twice in warm-up matches. The toss, therefore, will be crucial as the team batting second will have the advantage of pacing its innings according to the circumstances.

Both India and Pakistan have sound knowledge of the Edgbaston wicket. Riding on hundreds from Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik, India chased down 333 with consummate ease here in a warm-up match against Sri Lanka on June 1. Pakistan, on the other hand, were shot out for 167, chasing South Africa's 234 for nine in a group league game on June 10.