Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill’s trademark aggression lifted India from an uninspiring day within the subject because the Males in Blue romped house to a six-wicket victory over Pakistan to take care of their unbeaten run within the Asia Cup.
The win additionally made it 4 successive wins for India towards Pakistan in T20Is, a bragging proper it’s going to readily take within the current context of the ‘no handshake’ period.
Abhishek obtained into the act straight away, taking up the 172-run goal with a first-ball six off Shaheen Afridi.
The left-hander went about his merry methods towards leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, making full use of the beneficial matchup by spraying the leg-side with boundaries, and introduced up a 25-ball fifty with a drive by means of cowl off Saim Ayub.
Gill was extra intent on displaying his full vary, and a real floor with even bounce performed proper into his means to play a wide selection of strokes. The delectable short-arm jab was unfurled within the fifth over, and Haris Rauf didn’t recognize it.
SCORECARD | IND VS PAK SUPER FOURS CONTEST
Abhishek and Gill appeared to get beneath his pores and skin, however the duo from Punjab didn’t let that bother their rhythm as they plundered 69 runs within the PowerPlay.
There was a light hiccup as India misplaced 4 wickets for 43 runs, however Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya noticed it off and headed straight for the dressing room, leaving the opposition to shake arms amongst themselves as soon as once more.
However India’s strut after the match belied its preliminary struggles.
Hardik, arms clasped behind his again together with his eyes boring into the pitch, reduce a sorry determine after Shivam Dube got here too far inside and the ball went over the rope at deep backward level for a six.
It was the fifth catch India ought to have taken and restricted Pakistan properly beneath what it will definitely obtained—171 for 5.
AS IT HAPPENED | IND VS PAK SUPER FOURS HIGHLIGHTS
Abhishek, Gill, and Kuldeep Yadav had missed possibilities on the sector, and Jasprit Bumrah was curiously off-colour after logging his costliest spell in T20Is in nearly three years. It was an unusually insipid present by India within the subject; the shoulders drooped, and skipper Suryakumar Yadav tried to prop them up with a pat as they left the sector.
To its credit score, Pakistan additionally turned up with a renewed objective, which spoke by means of its intent within the PowerPlay. The brand new opening pair in Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman turned the warmth up within the very first over. Farhan sliced a ball that was shaping away, and Abhishek grassed the catch at third man. However the right-hander was at it once more, lofting the subsequent ball over mid-on for a pair.
Fakhar stepped out to Bumrah’s first ball of the match for 2 extra by means of cowl and picked up successive boundaries, giving India’s tempo ace the cost once more. However the left-hander’s tryst with danger was short-lived. After making room and chopping the ball arduous by means of cover-point off Hardik, he was caught behind, repeating the dose, with Sanju Samson pouching a catch that left Fakhar with a wry smile and a few ruffled feathers within the Pakistan camp.
However even Saim, sitting on three consecutive geese, didn’t let the depth drop, and ended his rut with a pull to the square-leg boundary. His no-look slog-sweep off Varun Chakaravarthy was spilt by Kuldeep, and Farhan’s swipe outdoors off flew over slips in the identical over.
India’s Shivam Dube, proper, picked two wickets together with his arduous size to derail the Pakistan innings.
| Photograph Credit score:
AP
India’s Shivam Dube, proper, picked two wickets together with his arduous size to derail the Pakistan innings.
| Photograph Credit score:
AP
A toe-ended pull by means of midwicket to finish the PowerPlay was symptomatic of a facet nonetheless coming to phrases with a rebranded strategy to the format, however a rating of 55 for one within the first six overs justified the risk-benefit tradeoff.
The PowerPlay surge spilled over into the subsequent 4 overs, after which it was decreased to a trickle. Farhan was handed a second life when Abhishek parried the ball over long-on, depriving Varun once more. Kuldeep got here in for some tough remedy too, when Ayub and Farhan stepped out to clear long-on in the identical over.
Farhan accomplished a 34-ball half-century with a pulled six over extensive long-on, and enjoying within the ‘V’ was an indicator of Pakistan’s resurgence. Its batters collected 58 runs in 32 balls whereas enjoying straight with out dropping a wicket.
However regardless of probably the most trustworthy of efforts, previous habits generally kick in. Between the tenth and seventeenth overs, Pakistan endured a 39-ball boundary drought, with Dube lending the spinners a serving to hand.
He bent his again, nudged the 130-kmph mark at instances, and accounted for Farhan and Ayub with a tough size, which he persistently hit. The interval additionally noticed Abhishek redeem himself with a shocking take, as he ran in from backward square-leg and dived in entrance full-stretch to finish the catch.
An ill-informed reverse-sweep from Hussain Talat, and Mohammad Nawaz’s lackadaisical run out highlighted Pakistan’s late-overs hunch, and regardless of Faheem Ashraf’s late strikes, Pakistan didn’t have sufficient.
Printed on Sep 22, 2025