DUBAI – Pakistan beat India by five wickets in the second encounter of the Asia Cup 2022 between the arch-rivals on Sunday.
Batting first, India scored 181 runs in 20 overs at the loss of 7 wickets. Chasing the target, Pakistan made 182 runs in 19.5 overs at the loss of 5 wickets.
In their first encounter of the Super Four stage, the Pakistani innings started slow and the team lost skipper Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman within the first 10 overs. This was the time when Pakistan needed someone to build a partnership with Mohammad Rizwan to bring Pakistan back into the game.
At this point, the decision to move Mohammad Nawaz up in the order proved right and a 73-run partnership between Rizwan and Nawaz helped set the centre stage for Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah to finish the game for Pakistan.
Pakistan needed 34 runs off 18 balls to finish the game by the time Rizwan and Nawaz were dismissed.
The raw emotions, the reactions and the celebrations 🤗
🎥 Relive the last over of Pakistan's thrilling five-wicket win over India from the team dressing room 👏🎊#AsiaCup2022 | #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/xHAePLrDwd
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 4, 2022
In the 18th over, Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah smashed Bhuvneshwar Kumar all over the park and brought the chase down to 7 off 6 balls.
It looked like the Green Shirts would win the match easily when a four from the second ball of the last over made it 2 off 4 balls, but Arshdeep Singh’s dismissal off Asif made 2 from 2. Finally, Iftikhar Ahmad helped Pakistan win the game by five wickets with one ball to spare.
WHAT A WIN 🤩
Pakistan defeat India by 5️⃣ wickets with just one ball to spare! 🎊💪#AsiaCup2022 | #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/cvNOwHmHrD
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 4, 2022
Earlier during the Indian innings, openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul started the innings very strongly and took the Men in Blue past 50 runs in the fifth over. Haris Rauf dismissed Sharma in the sixth over and Shadab Khan dismissed Rahul in the seventh over to disrupt India’s flight to victory.
However, by the end of the 15th over, Virat Kohli’s partnerships with Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant put India in a comfortable position.
Deepak Hooda stood by Kohli to push India’s score past 171 before he was dismissed in the 19th over by Naseem Shah.
Alhumdulillah – this team of champions delivered in a nail-biting game. Magnificent innings from @iMRizwanPak and Nawaz.
This one is for all those people back in our Pakistan fighting with the floods. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Yad4kxGFSU
— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) September 4, 2022
In the last over, Rauf was successfully containing India but two misfields by Fakhar Zaman took India past 180 and helped the Men in Blue set a 182-run target for Pakistan.
Kohli was the highest scorer for the Indian side with 60 runs, and openers Sharma and Rahul were the second best with 28 runs each.
Pakistan’s Shadab was the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets in his four overs. Hasnain, Naseem, Haris and Nawaz took one wicket each.