India crushes Pakistan in a one-sided contest

The India-Pakistan clash no longer carries the same tense excitement as in the past. The thrill on the field is subdued, and much of the hype often stems from the political backdrop between the two nations. This year was no exception. Before the Asia Cup encounter in the UAE, there was uncertainty about whether the match would even take place. Once that was resolved and both teams faced each other on the field, the contest turned into a one-sided affair.

Batting first, Pakistan managed just 127 runs, a total India surpassed in only 15.5 overs. Abhishek Sharma (33) and Suryakumar Yadav (47) gave Pakistan’s bowlers no chance to build any resistance.

Traditionally, India-Pakistan matches have showcased a battle between India’s batting strength and Pakistan’s pace attack. Legendary pacers like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Akhtar paved the way, and the legacy continues with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. On the Indian side, stalwarts from Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma to modern stars like Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav have consistently demonstrated their batting prowess.

However, the contest loses its edge when Pakistan bats first, as was evident on Sunday at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where India’s bowlers dominated from the start.

Winning the toss, Pakistan batted first but seemed to surrender to India’s bowling attack. Only Sahibzada Farhan (40) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (33* at the end) showed resistance, with Fawad Alam contributing 19 runs in between.

Pakistan lost opener Syed Aiyub for just 1 run, followed immediately by Mohammad Haris, who fell for 3, both caught by Bumrah off Hardik Pandya. Farhan and Fawad added 39 runs together before Axar Patel dismissed Fawad for 17, breaking the partnership.

A collapse soon followed, with Pakistan losing three wickets for just 19 runs—Salman Agha (11), Hasan Nawaz (5), and Mohammad Nawaz (0). Salman fell to Axar Patel, while Kuldeep Yadav dismissed both Nawazes. Pakistan slumped to 64/6.

Farhan tried to hold one end but fell for 40 to Kuldeep. His 44-ball innings with 3 sixes and 1 four was T20-worthy but insufficient to change the match dynamics. Afridi’s late flourish helped Pakistan reach a respectable 127/9 in 20 overs, remaining unbeaten on 33 off 16 balls.

For India, Kuldeep Yadav took 3 wickets for 18 runs, while Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel claimed 2 each. Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy took one wicket apiece.

Chasing a modest 128, India faced Pakistan’s pace attack, particularly Afridi, but the pacer was not at his best. Saif Aiyub stood out with the ball, claiming the first breakthrough by removing Shubman Gill (10). Abhishek Sharma (33 off 13 balls, 4 fours, 2 sixes) followed, caught by Fahim Ashraf.

At number three, Suryakumar Yadav batted with composure, putting together a 56-run partnership with Tilak Varma (33) before Saif dismissed Tilak. At 97/3, India remained in control, and Suryakumar did not give away any further wickets.

With Shivam Dube (10*) at the other end, Suryakumar struck a six off Sufiyan Muqeem in the 16th over to take India to a 7-wicket victory. He remained unbeaten on 47 off 37 balls, hitting 5 fours and 1 six.

For Pakistan, Saif Aiyub was the most successful bowler, taking 3 wickets for 35 runs in 4 overs. Abrar Ahmed was economical, conceding just 16 runs in 4 overs, while Shaheen Afridi bowled 2 overs for 23 runs without taking a wicket.