India dominates rival Pakistan at Asia Cup, wins by seven wickets

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — India’s spinners scripted a seven-wicket win over archrival Pakistan in the Asia Cup on Sunday with 25 balls remaining.

Wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav took 3-18 in four overs, with 2-18 for left-arm spinner Axar Patel, as Pakistan was restricted to 127-9 in 20 overs after it opted to bat first.

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav then scored an unbeaten 47 off 37 balls – including five fours and a six – as India finished with 131-3 in 15.5 overs.

Opener Abhishek Sharma scored 31 off 13, hitting four fours and two sixes.

The Asia Cup marks a resumption of cricket ties between India and Pakistan only months after the neighbouring countries were engaged in a tense border tension in May that disrupted the IPL and the Pakistan Super League.

India tops Group A after its earlier win over the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan beat Oman and now takes on the UAE on Wednesday.

India will play Oman in its final group game on Friday in Abu Dhabi.

Despite opting to bat, Pakistan failed to make use of good batting conditions. Saim Ayub was out for a second consecutive golden duck in this tournament, caught off Hardik Pandya.

Jasprit Bumrah then sent back in-form Mohammad Haris for three.

Sahibzada Farhan top scored with 40 off 44 balls, hitting three sixes, as he rescued Pakistan from 6-2 in 1.2 overs.

But wickets kept falling at the other end with the Indian spinners dominating proceedings. Yadav and Patel ran through the middle order as Pakistan was reduced to 64-6 in 12.5 overs.

The spin duo shared five wickets for 36 runs across 48 deliveries.

Shaheen Afridi led a lower-order recovery with 33 not out off 16 balls and helped his side cross the 100-run mark. He hit four sixes even as Pakistan finished with an under-par total.

India’s chase had an early blow when losing Shubman Gill for 10 runs. He was stumped off Ayub in the second over.

Sharma though had provided the speedy start as he attacked Afridi’s new-ball spell and took 23 runs off his two overs.

He was caught off Ayub in the fourth over, but India had gathered enough momentum in the powerplay overs with 61-2 after six overs.

Tilak Varma held up one end with a run-a-ball 31, hitting two fours and a six, even as the slow-paced nature of the pitch came to the fore.

Skipper Yadav and Varma added 56 off 52 balls to move India close to the finish line, when Varma fell to Ayub. The off-spinner finished with 3-35 in four overs.

Yadav was there to the end.

“I wanted to stay till the end and win the game. It is just another game for us, but it is human tendency to think about things running in the back of your mind," said Yardav, who turned 35 on Sunday.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket