India’s spin-focused approach proved decisive once again as Kuldeep Yadav led a ruthless attack to restrict Pakistan to 127/9 in their Group A fixture of the 2025 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
India opted to field just one frontline seamer, relying heavily on their spin trio of Kuldeep, Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy, who collectively accounted for six wickets.
Kuldeep took 3-18, Axar 2-18, and Varun chipped in with 1-24, all operating with superb control on a sluggish pitch that offered turn.
The conditions in Dubai aided India’s tweakers, whose variations and precision left Pakistan’s batters searching for answers. Sahibzada Farhan top-scored with 40, trying to anchor the innings, while a spirited cameo from Shaheen Shah Afridi (33 not out off 16 balls) added some respectability to the total.
Despite the late flourish, Pakistan failed to build partnerships and lost wickets regularly, with India tightening the screws in the middle overs.
India made an immediate impact when Hardik Pandya dismissed Saim Ayub for his second consecutive golden duck.
Jasprit Bumrah struck soon after, forcing Mohammad Haris to miscue to deep backwards square leg.
Fakhar Zaman and Farhan attempted to rebuild with aggressive strokes, including a pair of sixes off Bumrah, but Axar broke through by removing Zaman at long-on and later dismissing Salman Agha with a top-edged sweep.
Kuldeep Yadav joined the attack with precision, first inducing Hasan Nawaz to miscue a slog-sweep to leg gully, then trapping Mohammad Nawaz lbw for a golden duck.
Farhan tried to counter with boundaries off Abhishek Sharma and Axar, but Kuldeep’s wide googly lured him into a shot that ended in the hands of long-on. Chakaravarthy also chipped in by trapping Faheem Ashraf lbw, leaving Pakistan reeling.
Pakistan crossed the 100-run mark thanks to Shaheen Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem, who both struck consecutive boundaries off Bumrah. Bumrah, however, responded with a perfect yorker to shatter Muqeem’s stumps.
Shaheen then launched consecutive sixes off Hardik Pandya to take Pakistan beyond 120, ensuring a modest but defendable total.
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