Dubai: Pakistan showed some improvement from their previous mauling at the hands of India last Sunday, but the men in blue were still far too strong for the green brigade a week later.
Chasing 172 to win the Asia Cup Super 4 encounter at Dubai International Stadium, Abhishek Sharma (74 off 49 balls, 6×4, 5×6) and Shubman Gill (47 off 28, 8×4) gave India an electrifying start which paved the way for a 6-wicket win.
It was India’s 11th win in 15 T20 Internationals against Pakistan.
Left-handed Abhishek and right-handed Shubman Gill were a study in contrast, but both equally effective in pushing Pakistani bowlers to the back foot.
Abhishek, all fire and fury, announced his intentions by sending the dangerous Shaheen Shah Afridi over the fine-leg fence off the very first ball of India’s chase. Abhishek took his chances, going after every bowler and collecting fours and sixes at will.
Gill was elegance personified, creaming boundaries with effortless ease. Not only did the openers dominate the Pakistani bowlers, they also gave it back to Shaheen Shah and Haris Rauf when the pacers tried to sledge them with a few words.
India raced to 100 in the ninth over, before stuttering briefly and losing three wickets – including skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s three-ball duck. Sanju Samson fell for 13, but Tilak Varma chipped in with a classy unbeaten 30 (19 balls, 2×4, 2×6) to guide India home with 7 balls to spare.
Taking the game deep, almost till the final over, was Pakistan’s only consolation. In the Group league encounter on September 14, they had surrendered with 25 balls remaining.
BRIEF SCORES
Pakistan 171/5 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 58; Shivam Dube 2/33).
India 174/4 in 18.5 overs (Abhishek Sharma 74, Shubman Gill 47; Haris Rauf 2/26).
Result: India won by 6 wickets.
Player of the Match: Abhishek Sharma (74 off 39 balls, 6×4, 5×6).