India dominated Pakistan by a thumping seven-wicket margin in their Asia Cup Group A match on Sunday, clinching the game in style.
Putting Pakistan into bat, they were restricted to 127 for nine as India's spinners Kuldeep Yadav (3/18) and Axar Patel (2/18) marked time with tight spells.
The pursuit was easy for India, who reached the finish line in 15.5 overs. Captain Suryakumar Yadav held the innings with an unbeaten 47 off 37 balls, while Abhishek Sharma (31 off 13) and Tilak Varma (31 off 31) contributed vital cameos.
Earlier, Hardik Pandya had struck with the first genuine ball of the match, getting rid of Saim Ayub, before Jasprit Bumrah got rid of Mohammad Haris in the next over to leave Pakistan tottering at 6 for 2.
Kuldeep and Axar then tightened the screws with regular breakthroughs in the middle overs. Only Sahibzada Farhan offered resistance with a gritty 40 off 44 balls, while Shaheen Afridi’s late cameo of 33 not out from 16 deliveries lifted Pakistan past 125. The rest of the batting line-up faltered on a relatively easy surface.
Brief Scores:
Pakistan: 127/9 (Sahibzada Farhan 40, Shaheen Afridi 33*) in 20 overs (Kuldeep Yadav 3/18, Axar Patel 2/18)
India: 131/3 (Suryakumar Yadav 47*, Abhishek Sharma 31, Tilak Varma 31) in 15.5 overs (Saim Ayub 3/35)
