Dubai 5th of September : The second time in seven days, an Indian-Pakistan match was decided on the line in Asia Cup 2022.The second time in the multi-nation tournament, the result of an India-Pakistan game was determined in the final game.However, this time the outcome was in Pakistan’s favor, beating India with five wickets with the ball in hand in an exhilarating Super Four match at the Dubai International Stadium.It was India who had won the chase of 148 in the match in Group A and then it was Pakistan’s turn now to chase 182 in the Super Four match.
IANS offers a look at the factors that were the cause in India defeating their opening game of Asia Cup 2022: It was due to
India’s middle-overs wobble with bat
A tense opening partnership of 54 runs of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, with Virat Kohli looking good it was the ideal base for India to score a double on a surface and inch towards 200, particularly in Dubai where they have earned an enviable reputation for making the life of chasing teams easier.
However, Kohli had no support from the other side to accelerate in the final five overs, in which India lost three wickets in middle overs.
Suryakumar Yadav (13) slog-swept straight to the backward square leg from spinner left arm Mohammad Nawaz.Rishabh Pant (14) reverse-swept straight to backward point off leg spinner Shadab Khan.
Hardik Pandya smashed an over-seam ball from Mohammad Hasnain straight to forward diving short mid-wicket before he could depart for a duck of two balls.While Kohli and Deepak Hooda (16 off 14 balls) had several big shots in the final but it was too late for India with the middle order not joining the table as Pakistan only conceded the 88th run in the final 10 overs.
Nawaz promotion throws India off guard
Sunday’s Super Four match against Pakistan was a time when India seemed a bit naive and were in an awkward situation with Nawaz’s elevation to fourth.After his tense period of 1/25 in four overs with an economy rate of 6.25 in addition to taking the wickets of Pandya and Hooda, Nawaz played a stunning knock that left India in a state of shock.
Leg spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi had taken out Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam for a comparatively low price.
However, Nawaz was sent to bat at number four in order to stop them, struck six sixes and a four in the space of just 20 balls giving Pakistan’s chase the needed energy.
He started by cutting Chahal over the short third man to get four.
He then smashed Pandya over the long-on to earn the much-needed six and then took a slog sweep of Bishnoi to six in mid-wicket.Nawaz had a brutal time against pacers too and hammered Arshdeep Singh to the ground before slamming fours off Pandya over the cover and over the head of the keeper.
He capitalized on Chahal’s erratic deliveries by putting fours in the leg-side.However, it was his play against spin that turned the ball rolling in favor of Pakistan and he smashed 22 runs from nine balls with a soaring strike-rate of 244.44.
Although Mohammad Rizwan’s anchoring role and a score of 71 was vital in Pakistan’s victory, Nawaz was the driving the force of the five-wicket win with his all-round performance.It was not surprising that he was awarded as the Player of the Match.
The spinners of Pakistan beat India’s leg-spin duo
While Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul provided India an explosive start with 54 runs opening the stand in five overs, Pakistan needed their spinners, Nawaz and Shadab, to stop the flow of run.They certainly did that.Nawaz allowed just 25 in four overs, which included the fifth one in the powerplay.He defeated a risky Suryakumar Yadav, too.
Shadab changed his length and line perfectly to not concede sixes in his innings of 2/31 and a five-run screamer in the 16th over.He also snatched Rishabh Pant and Deepak Hooda in his four overs, thereby halting the Indian speed.
In the course of the match Pakistan’s pacers gave up 121 runs and took three wickets at an RPO of 10.88.Their spinners bowled eight innings between them for just 56 runs and picked up three wickets, with an RPO of just seven.
Spinners from India, Ravi Bishnoi and Yuzvendra Chahal, gave up 69 runs total in eight overs, taking only two wickets with an RPO of 8.62, with Hooda’s off-spin that is part-time was not taken into account as a spinner at all.Their pace counterparts threw the ball away for 111 runs, taking three wickets in an RPO of 9.65.
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