Dubai: A hard-hitting century stand between half-centurion Abhishek Sharma and vice-captain Shubman Gill served as a foundation for India’s six-wicket win over Pakistan in their Super Four clash of the Asia Cup in Dubai on September 21.
With this win, India has started the Super Four stage with a win. Previously having beaten Pakistan by seven wickets in a one-sided run-chase of 128 runs in the group stage, India gave away some extra runs this time around, with Sahibzada Farhan’s 45-ball 58 (with five fours and three sixes) taking Pakistan to 171/5 in 20 overs. But fiery Abhishek (74 in 39 balls, with six fours and five sixes) and Shubman (47 in 28 balls, with eight fours) made sure that the target was never out of reach with a 105-run partnership that took Pakistan out of the game easily.
During the run-chase of 172 balls, opener Abhishek Sharma kick-started with a six on the very first ball and appeared to say some words to Shaheen Shah Afridi as well. In the next over, vice-captain Shubman Gill hit Saim Ayub for two successive boundaries.
In the third over, Gill further continued with two boundaries against Shaheen. After collecting a four on the final ball, Gill looked at the pacer and pointed with his hand where the ball went, towards the wide of extra cover, showing shades of battle between Pakistani bowler Aamer Sohail and Indian pacer Venkatesh Pradesh during the 1996 World Cup, with the sides flipped this time around.
In the next over, Abhishek hit Abrar for a four and six, and the duo continued to pick apart the Pakistani attack, going at above 10 runs an over.
India reached the 50-run mark in 4.4 overs, the over ended with Gill delivering a short-arm-jab to Haris Rauf, and the war of words between Abhishek and Rauf picked up again.
The final over of powerplay was delivered by Saim Ayub, and he was greeted with three fours by the duo, ending the powerplay at 69/0, with Shubman (35*) and Abhishek (33*) unbeaten.
In the next over, Abhishek continued ripping apart spinners, delivering two sixes against Abrar, with the second one being due to a ball being dropped by Sahibzada Farhan at long-off.
Abhishek continued his fine run in T20Is, reaching his half-century in just 24 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes.
The duo brought up the 100-run stand in 8.4 overs. The 105-run stand between the duo was undone, with Faheem Ashraf cleaning him up for 47 in 28 balls, with eight fours. On the third ball of the 10th over, Suryakumar Yadav mistimed a shot, with a top edge landing into Abrar’s hands, with Rauf getting his wicket for a two-ball duck. India was 106/2 in 10.3 overs.
Abhishek, however, continued to bat unaffected, carving Faheem for two fours, one straight over mid-off, while the other was a cut. Saving the best for Abrar, he launched him for a monstrous 91 m six over long-on. Abrar managed to get the best of Abhishek, though, as he was caught by Haris at long-on. Abhishek made a brilliant 39-ball 74, with six fours and five sixes. India was 123/3 in 12.2 overs.
Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma took India to 140/3 by 15 overs, with Sanju (9*) and Tilak (8*) unbeaten.
Rauf put an end to the partnership, as Samson looked to swing across the line and lost his stumps for 13 in 17 balls. India was 148/4 in 16.4 overs.
Hardik launched Rauf for an elegant drive through wide of mid wicket on the very first ball, taking India to the 150-run mark in 16.4 overs. A six from Tilak on the second delivery of the 18th overtook the deficit even lower. India needed nine in the final two overs.
Tilak brought down the deficit to two runs in eight balls, with a gigantic straight six of 92 m against Shaheen. On the next ball, Tilak finished the match with a flick for four. India finished at 174/4 in 18.5 overs, with Tilak (30* in 19 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Hardik (7*) unbeaten with seven balls left.
Haris, with two wickets, was Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker.
Earlier, Sahibzada Farhan’s flamboyant fifty and Faheem Ashraf’s impactful cameo propelled Pakistan to a competitive total against arch-rival India in the Super Fours clash at the ongoing Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
Four dropped catches and a couple of errors in the field summed up India’s bizarre effort in the field. Pakistan cashed in on India’s blunders and blazed its way to 171/5, the highest total against India while batting first in T20Is. In the last three overs, Pakistan garnered 42 runs to set up a mouth-watering chase.
Pakistan stepped out of its shell and adopted a fearless approach right from the get-go. After a minor tweak, Saim Ayub was dropped to number three and Fakhar Zaman was promoted to open alongside Sahibzada Farhan.
Farhan was jaded early after the ball struck him close to the splice, and he showed signs of experiencing some jarring. Physios came out to treat him, and a heavy strapping was visible after he removed his glove. The early jolt rattled him, and a ball later, he ballooned the ball and sent it straight to Abhishek Sharma, who was stationed at third man.
The young swashbuckler only had to run a couple of yards, but he remained static, misjudged the trajectory and dropped the opportunity. Fakhar reeled in back-to-back overs off Jasprit Bumrah to clear his intentions early on.
India eventually got the breakthrough after Pandya rolled his fingers and bowled an off-cutter to induce a thick edge off Fakhar, which flew to Sanju Samson. Fakhar hung around the umpires while the legality of the catch was being checked.
A zoomer was employed, and after deliberating on the entire incident, the third umpire adjudged that Samson’s fingers were underneath the ball, and the catch was legal. Fakhar was in dismay and shook his head while returning to the dugout with 15(9). He even had a brief chat with head coach Mike Hesson, who waved his hand while trying to express his displeasure about the umpire’s decision.
India continued to endure a torrid run on the field after Kuldeep Yadav dropped Ayub on a score of 4 off mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy. The dropped chances came to Pakistan’s aid, propelling them to 55/1, the highest total in the powerplay against India in the tournament.
In the eighth over, Abhishek continued to be haunted by dropped chances after he spilt Farhan’s catch for the second time. He scurried to cover up yards at long-on, but his one-handed attempt resulted in the ball going past the boundary rope for a six. Ayub and Farhan rubbed salt on Kuldeep and India’s wounds with two towering maximums in the next over.
Farhan walloped the ball for another six in the next over to bring up his fifty in style and pulled off a rocket-launcher celebration with his bat to revel in the special moment. The flow of runs significantly dropped after Abhishek, culprit for flooring two chances, finally got hold of a one to remove Ayub on 21(17 balls with four and six) off Shivam Dube.
Boundaries tried up and Kuldeep capitalised on the opening. Hussain Talat’s reverse sweep was off the mark, and Chakravarthy made no mistake to pouch the opportunity. With Talat gone after a rustic 10(11), Dube stung Pakistan once again, with Farhan running out of luck and holing it out to India skipper Suryakumar Yadav on 58(45 balls with five fours and three sixes).
After a couple of silent overs, Pakistan skipper Salman Agha launched a counterattack with a maximum straight down the ground off Kuldeep. Mohammad Nawaz swatted the ball over midwicket and barely got the ball past the boundary rope off Dube, and churned out 17 runs in the 18th over.
Bumrah, who had a shambolic outing in the powerplay, returned to bowl the penultimate and his last over of the match. Nawaz went through a brain-fade moment. He barely showed any sign of awareness and was strolling outside the popping crease. He didn’t even look at Suryakumar, who dislodged the bails off the stumps to have him run out on 21(19 with a four and six).
Faheem Ashraf muscled Bumrah’s full toss well beyond the boundary rope for a maximum and saw Shubman Gill drop a sitter on the next, ending the Indian speedster’s four-over spell with figures of 0/45. Faheem dispatched the ball for a six on the final ball of the 20th over off Pandya and wrapped up the first innings as Pakistan posted 171/5 on the board.
Brief Scores: Pakistan: 171/5: (Sahibzada Farhan 58, Saim Ayub 21, Shivam Dube 2/33) lost to India: 174/4 in 18.5 overs (Abhishek Sharma 74, Shubman Gill 47, Haris Rauf 2/26). (ANI)
