Dubai [UAE], September 21 (ANI): Sahibzada Farhan’s flamboyant fifty and Faheem Ashraf’s impactful cameo propelled Pakistan to a competitive total against arch-rival India in the Super Fours clash at the ongoing Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
Four dropped catches and a couple of errors in the field summed up India’s bizarre effort in the field. Pakistan cashed in on India’s blunders and blazed its way to 171/5, the highest total against India while batting first in T20Is. In the last three overs, Pakistan garnered 42 runs to set up a mouth-watering chase.
Pakistan stepped out of its shell and adopted a fearless approach right from the get-go. After a minor tweak, Saim Ayub was dropped to number three and Fakhar Zaman was promoted to open alongside Sahibzada Farhan.
Farhan was jaded early after the ball struck him close to the splice, and he showed signs of experiencing some jarring. Physios came out to treat him, and a heavy strapping was visible after he removed his glove. The early jolt rattled him, and a ball later, he ballooned the ball and sent it straight to Abhishek Sharma, who was stationed at third man.
The young swashbuckler only had to run a couple of yards, but he remained static, misjudged the trajectory and dropped the opportunity. Fakhar reeled in back-to-back overs off Jasprit Bumrah to clear his intentions early on.
India eventually got the breakthrough after Pandya rolled his fingers and bowled an off-cutter to induce a thick edge off Fakhar, which flew to Sanju Samson. Fakhar hung around the umpires while the legality of the catch was being checked.
A zoomer was employed, and after deliberating on the entire incident, the third umpire adjudged that Samson’s fingers were underneath the ball, and the catch was legal. Fakhar was in dismay and shook his head while returning to the dugout with 15(9). He even had a brief chat with head coach Mike Hesson, who waved his hand while trying to express his displeasure about the umpire’s decision.
India continued to endure a torrid run on the field after Kuldeep Yadav dropped Ayub on a score of 4 off mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy. The dropped chances came to Pakistan’s aid, propelling them to 55/1, the highest total in the powerplay against India in the tournament.
In the eighth over, Abhishek continued to be haunted by dropped chances after he spilt Farhan’s catch for the second time. He scurried to cover up yards at long-on, but his one-handed attempt resulted in the ball going past the boundary rope for a six. Ayub and Farhan rubbed salt on Kuldeep and India’s wounds with two towering maximums in the next over.
Farhan walloped the ball for another six in the next over to bring up his fifty in style and pulled off a rocket-launcher celebration with his bat to revel in the special moment. The flow of runs significantly dropped after Abhishek, culprit for flooring two chances, finally got hold of a one to remove Ayub on 21(17) off Shivam Dube.
Boundaries tried up and Kuldeep capitalised on the opening. Hussain Talat’s reverse sweep was off the mark, and Chakravarthy made no mistake to pouch the opportunity. With Talat gone after a rustic 10(11), Dube stung Pakistan once again, with Farhan running out of luck and holing it out to India skipper Suryakumar Yadav on 58(45).
After a couple of silent overs, Pakistan skipper Salman Agha launched a counterattack with a maximum straight down the ground off Kuldeep. Mohammad Nawaz swatted the ball over midwicket and barely got the ball past the boundary rope off Dube, and churned out 17 runs in the 18th over.
Bumrah, who had a shambolic outing in the powerplay, returned to bowl the penultimate and his last over of the match. Nawaz went through a brain-fade moment. He barely showed any sign of awareness and was strolling outside the popping crease. He didn’t even look at Suryakumar, who dislodged the bails off the stumps to have him run out on 21(19).
Faheem Ashraf muscled Bumrah’s full toss well beyond the boundary rope for a maximum and saw Shubman Gill drop a sitter on the next, ending the Indian speedster’s four-over spell with figures of 0/45. Faheem dispatched the ball for a six on the final ball of the 20th over off Pandya and wrapped up the first innings as Pakistan posted 171/5 on the board.
Brief Scores: Pakistan: 171/5: (Sahibzada Farhan 58, Saim Ayub 21, Shivam Dube 2/33) vs India. (ANI)
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