DUBAI: India beat Pakistan by five wickets in the final to retain the Asia Cup title on Sunday, capping a remarkable unbeaten run with their third victory against their arch-rivals at this year’s tournament.
Put into bat, Pakistan could not capitalize on an 84-run opening stand between Sahibzada Farhan (57) and Fakhar Zaman (46) and were bundled out for 146 with five deliveries still left in their innings.
Pakistan lost their last nine wickets for 33 runs in a spectacular meltdown with India’s left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav (4-30) being the wrecker-in-chief.
Tilak Varma anchored India’s nervy chase with an unbeaten 69 and Shivam Dube (33) provided some support as they overwhelmed the target with two deliveries to spare at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Earlier, Pakistan got off to a strong start with Farhan leading their charge against an Indian attack weakened by the absence of their injured all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
Pakistan scored 45 runs in the first six powerplay overs but soon stepped up on the gas.
With Farhan in full flow and Fakhar playing the second fiddle to perfection, there was no inkling of the collapse lurking around until spinner Varun Chakravarthy (2-30) dismissed Farhan in the 10th over.
Kuldeep then took over, tying the batters in tangles while Axar Patel picked up a couple of wickets to hasten Pakistan’s collapse. Jasprit Bumrah also finished with two wickets.
India’s start was rather wobbly as they lost their in-form opener Abhishek Sharma, also the tournament’s leading scorer, and skipper Suryakumar Yadav inside the first 10 deliveries of their innings.
They slumped to 20-3 after the exit of Shubman Gill but Varma and Sanju Samson (24) decided to rebuild the innings.
Even that recovery would not have been possible but for the reprieve Samson, then on 12, got when Hussain Talat dropped him in the deep.
Abrar Ahmed dismissed Samson to break the 57-run stand but Dube combined with Varma to take India closer to the target before falling in the penultimate over.
Needing 10 runs from the last over from Haris Rauf, Varma hit the second ball for a six to effectively seal India’s thrilling victory and triggering wild celebration in the Indian camp.
Unbeaten India sink Pakistan to retain Asia Cup title
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Unbeaten India sink Pakistan to retain Asia Cup title
- Tilak Varma anchored India’s nervy chase with an unbeaten 69 and Shivam Dube (33) provided some support as they overwhelmed the target with two deliveries to spare at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium
