IND vs PAK, Asia Cup 2025, Super 4: Shubman Gill & Abhishek Sharma Put On Century Partnership As Team India Raze Pakistan By 6 Wickets In Dubai
Although Team India faced a slightly greater target than in their Group stage match against Pakistan, they comfortably surpassed the total to win the Super 4 bout over their arch-rivals on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium.
Openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma shared an explosive partnership of 105 runs, setting a strong foundation for the Men in Blue. They chased down a target of 172 with six wickets to spare.
Earlier in the night, the toss went in favour of Suryakumar Yadav, who opted to bowl first, citing the track record of successful run-chases at the venue. Unlike their cautious approach in the Group stage encounter, the Men in Green played aggressively from the start. Fakhar Zaman clattered two boundaries off Jasprit Bumrah’s over, putting pressure on the Indian bowling attack.
However, Hardik Pandya got the better of Zaman by deceiving the left-hander with a slower delivery. A touch-and-go decision from the third umpire went India’s way, resulting in Zaman’s dismissal.
Pakistan continued to attack with confidence, with captain Farhan Ajmal bringing up his half-century off just 34 deliveries. Despite this, the momentum slowed significantly after the wicket of Ayub, who scored 21. Farhan eventually fell for 58 off 45 balls after losing his bat attempting a powerful slog.
Spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy were not at their best but managed to largely curb Pakistan’s run-scoring. Faheem Ashraf’s unbeaten 20 off 8 balls, featuring a couple of sixes, contributed valuable runs to Pakistan’s total of 171/5.
Abhishek Sharma made an instant impact on the chase by welcoming Shaheen Shah Afridi with a first-ball six over fine leg. Sharma, who scored a destructive 74 off 39 deliveries, and Gill put Pakistan’s bowlers under relentless pressure with some imperious stroke play. Gill reached 47 before falling, while Sharma reached his fifty in just 24 balls.
Pakistan’s Haris Rauf dismissed Suryakumar Yadav for a duck, and India’s innings saw a brief wobble as Abhishek Sharma (74) and Sanju Samson (13) were both dismissed. However, Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma steadied the ship, ensuring India crossed the line comfortably to secure a commanding victory over their fierce rivals.
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