DUBAI: Rohit Sharma-led India outclassed Pakistan by eight wickets in their Asia Cup match in Dubai on Wednesday. The Indian team chased the meager 163-run target in the 29th over. Kedar Jadhav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar took three wickets apiece as Pakistan crumbled to 162 all out in their Asia Cup match against arch rivals India in Dubai on Wednesday. Leg-spinner Shadab Khan provided a much-needed relief to the Pakistani team on his very first ball of the game as the Indian skipper failed to read his googly. Rohit leaned forward to the length and stuck his bat out but left a big gap between bat and pad and the ball went right through to hit middle and leg. Rohit scored 52 runs on a strike rate of 133.33.
Pace bowler Kumar took 3 for 15 while off-spinner Jadhav finished with 3 for 23 as Pakistan, who won the toss and batted, collapsed from 85 for 2 to be bowled out in 43.1 over’s.
Kumar ran through the top order by dismissing openers Imam-ul-Haq (two) and Fakhar Zaman (0) inside five overs before Babar Azam (47) and Shoaib Malik (43) rebuilt the innings during their 82-run stand for the third wicket. But after Azam was dismissed in the 22nd over, bowled by left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav, Pakistan lost their last seven wickets for 77 runs. Azam hit six boundaries in his 62-ball knock while Malik, dropped on 26 by MS Dhoni off Hardik Pandya, cracked one six and one four in a vigilant innings lasting 67 deliveries. Bowling his fifth over, Pandya fell in his follow through and was stretchered off with a lower back injury, the extent of which was assessed by the India team´s medical staff. Both teams have already qualified for the Super Four stage of the tournament from Group A while Bangladesh and Afghanistan will advance from Group B.