CRICKET – CAPTAIN Suryakumar Yadav led India to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory against Pakistan in their Asia Cup Group A match in Dubai yesterday.
India’s three-pronged spin attack laid the foundation of their second successive victory in the tournament when they restricted Pakistan for a below-par 127-9.
Opener Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma contributed 31 each before Suryakumar, who made 47 not out, sealed India’s victory with a six with 4.1 overs still left in their innings.
Earlier, Pakistan captain Salman Agha opted to bat but they crawled to 49-4 at the halfway stage of their stuttering innings.
Hardik Pandya began with a wide ball in a dramatic first couple of overs when Pakistan lost two wickets and used the review system to prevent the loss of a third batter.
Pandya redeemed himself immediately by dismissing opener Saim Ayub for a duck with the first legitimate delivery of the ball with Jasprit Bumrah taking the catch.
When Bumrah came to bowl the next over, Pandya returned the compliment and took a catch to dismiss Mohammad Haris.
Sahibzada Farhan (40) hit a couple of sixes off Bumrah but left-arm spinner Axar Patel dismissed Fakhar Zaman and Salman in successive overs to put Pakistan under the pump.
Kuldeep Yadav further twisted the knife dismissing Hasan Nawaz and Mohammed Nawaz in successive deliveries and ending Farhan’s gutsy knock.
Shaheen Afridi hit four sixes in his unbeaten 33 to lend some respectability to Pakistan’s total.
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