Asia Cup: India’s Fierce Comeback Crushes Pakistan in Dubai

No Handshakes, High Stakes: India Outlasts Pakistan

Dubai: India secured a thrilling six-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four match held at Dubai International Cricket Stadium with 7 balls to spare. This intense encounter, played under floodlights on a warm and humid evening, was filled with fierce rivalry, high-quality cricket, and political undertones that kept everyone hooked. Pakistan started strongly, racing to 91/1 in the first 10 overs. Driven by Sahibzada Farhan’s elegant 58 off 41 balls, including five fours and three towering sixes, and Saim Ayub’s brisk 21 off 17 with a four and a six, their 72-run stand laid a robust foundation. Farhan’s lofted cover drives and Ayub’s deft flicks signalled intent to post a daunting 180-plus on a tricky Dubai pitch, where the average first-innings score hovered around 170. Pakistan’s early dominance suggested a total that could challenge India’s formidable batting lineup.

However, after the power play, the match began to slip from Pakistan’s control. Shivam Dube’s introduction brought a turning tide as he broke the crucial 72-run partnership, dismissing both Ayub and Farhan with well-executed deliveries. Dube’s 2/33 in four overs, including Ayub’s wicket in the 11th over at 93/2, caught by Abhishek Sharma, and Mohammad Haris’s 12 off 8, with a four and a six, in the 17th at 140/4, disrupted Pakistan’s momentum. Varun Chakravarthy’s miserly 1/25 and Kuldeep Yadav’s probing 0/32 in their eight combined overs further stifled Pakistan, limiting them to 80 runs for four wickets in the middle overs at 7.40 runs per over. Pakistan’s middle order crumbled under sustained pressure. Although Faheem Ashraf’s late, late cameo—20 runs off 8 balls—helped push the total to 171/5, bolstered by 12 extras including eight wides and four leg-byes, their hold on the game had slipped, falling short of a par 180-190 that might have tested India more severely.

Amidst this, India’s fielding showed moments of frailty with some dropped catches that agonisingly extended Pakistan’s innings and built tension. Two notable drops—one of Farhan in the 8th over off Hardik Pandya’s 1/28 and another of Haris in the 16th off Axar Patel’s 1/31—kept Pakistan’s hopes alive longer, adding drama to an already charged atmosphere, while even Jasprit Bumrah endured a rare off-day, leaking 45 runs without a wicket in his four overs at 11.25 an over—his most expensive T20I spell against Pakistan and a stark contrast to his usual dominance, as Farhan and Ayub targeted him relentlessly in the powerplay. Adding to the final-anxiety drama, India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed for a duck early in the chase, sending ripples of concern through the fans, as India slipped to 113/3 in the 13th over after Haris Rauf’s fiery 2/26 claimed him.

The chase was electrified by Abhishek Sharma, who smashed a fearless 74 off 39 balls. His blitz, adorned with five towering sixes and six crisp boundaries, shredded the Pakistani bowling attack. Sharma later revealed how Pakistan’s aggression—the fiery spells of Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf—and heated exchanges on the field fired him up and intensified India’s fight. Abhishek set the tone by smashing Afridi, who went wicketless for 40 runs, for a six off the first ball—a short delivery pulled over fine-leg—becoming the first Indian to hit the opening ball for six twice in T20Is against Pakistan. His other sixes included a lofted cover drive off Afridi, a pulled shot off Rauf, and a soaring hit over midwicket off Abrar Ahmed’s 1/35, racing to 31 off 13 in the powerplay alone.

Sharma’s partner, Shubman Gill, played the perfect foil, providing composure with a measured 47 off 28, featuring five fours and a six. Together, their 105-run partnership shifted pressure relentlessly onto Pakistan’s bowlers and fielders, amassing 69/0 in the powerplay at 11.50 runs per over, outpacing Pakistan’s first six overs by 19 runs. By the time Gill fell to Rauf at 105/1 in the 10th over, India needed just 67 off 62 balls, with Cricinfo’s win probability hitting 100%. Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 30 off 18, with two fours and a six, and Hardik Pandya’s quick 7 not out off 4, including a four, sealed the chase in 18.5 overs at 174/4, with the 15 sixes in the match—eight by India, seven by Pakistan—lighting up the Dubai night.

The dew-laden Dubai pitch challenged bowlers, but India’s Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya adapted well, taking crucial wickets and maintaining control. Kuldeep’s variations and Pandya’s dismissal of Fakhar Zaman for 15 off 9 in the 7th over kept Pakistan in check, while Jasprit Bumrah’s economical 0/18 in two overs added pressure, ensuring Pakistan couldn’t break free.

The politically charged no-handshake saga continued, with India captain Suryakumar Yadav refusing to shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha both at the toss and after the match. While Agha did not initiate a handshake either, the no-handshake policy was primarily from the Indian camp, symbolising the ongoing political tensions. This silent cricketing protest, echoing their group-stage snub on September 14, sparked widespread debate and formal complaints to the ICC by Pakistan, who were left “baffled” by India’s players shaking hands only with umpires. The ICC upheld match referee Andy Pycroft’s handling of the situation amid the controversy, as the gesture fueled discussions beyond the field. India’s victory further cemented its dominance in the rivalry, extending its T20I head-to-head lead to 12-3 and maintaining an unbeaten 3-0 record against Pakistan in Asia Cup T20Is.

Suryakumar later praised his team’s resilience: “The way the boys are stepping up in every game has made my job as skipper very easy.” Agha, reflecting on the loss, acknowledged Pakistan’s batting effort but lamented their bowling: “We batted well, but they took the game away from us.”

The game’s intensity transcended cricket, reaching beyond the boundary ropes into diplomatic and nationalistic arenas, as India’s display of aggression and psychological toughness solidified their Super Four lead with a net run rate of +0.689, while Pakistan, now at 0-2, faces a must-win clash against Sri Lanka on September 23.

– global bihari bureau