DUBAI: Hardik Pandya starred with bat and ball to lead India to a five-wicket win over Pakistan in a last-over Twenty20 thriller in the Asia Cup on Sunday.
Chasing 148 for victory, Ravindra Jadeja, who hit 35, and Pandya, unbeaten on 33, put on a key fifth-wicket stand of 52 as India achieved the target with two balls to spare in Dubai.
Pace bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Pandya shared seven wickets to set up victory for India in their opening match as they bowled out Pakistan for 147.
Pandya, who returned figures of 3-25 with his medium-pace bowling, then stood calm to hit the winning six in a tense chase in the six-nation tournament which acts as a tune-up for the T20 World Cup in October-November in Australia.
India, who lost their previous match with to Pakistan by 10 wickets in last year's T20 World Cup at the same venue, improved their win-loss record to 8-2 against the arch-rivals in Virat Kohli's 100th T20 international.
Debutant pace bowler Naseem Shah stood out for Pakistan with figures of 2-27 but a foot injury in the last few overs had him limping as India took control with the right-left batting pair of Pandya and Jadeja.
Pakistan kept chipping away with wickets as Naseem bowled Suryakumar Yadav for 18 and Mohammad Nawaz rattled the stumps of Jadeja in the final over.
Virat Kohli scored 35 before falling to Nawaz's left-arm spin that also claimed skipper Rohit Sharma for 12.
Naseem struck early with the wicket of KL Rahul for nought as the opener dragged an express delivery on to his stumps.
The 19-year old Naseem nearly got Kohli out two balls later only for Fakhar Zaman to drop a catch at second slip.
Kohli, who has endured a prolonged lean patch and recently spoke of his mental health struggles, overcame initial jitters and seemed to find his flow with a few convincing boundaries including a wristy drive over mid-on before getting out.
Earlier Kumar set the tone for India's dominance as he dismissed skipper Babar Azam for 10 in the second over and returned figures of 4-26.
Pandya rattled Pakistan's middle-order with his three wickets including the dangerman wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan who had hit 43 off 42 balls.
Kumar returned to take two wickets in two balls in the penultimate over but was denied a hat-trick by number 11 Shahnawaz Dahani.
Dahani smashed two sixes in his six-ball 16 before being bowled by left-arm medium-pace bowler Arshdeep Singh, who took two wickets as Pakistan's innings folded in 19.5 overs.
Live Updates
India innings
SIX: Hardik Pandya hits Nawaz for a six and finishes the match in style. India win by five wickets with 2 balls to spare.
WICKET: Nawaz gets Jadeja. He departs for 35.
India are 141/5 after 19.1 overs, need 7 off 5 balls
India 141/4 after 19 overs, need 7 off 6 balls
India are 127/4 after 18 overs, require 21 off 12 balls.
India are 116/4 after 17 overs, need 32 off 18 balls.
India 107/4 after 16 overs, require 41 off 24 balls.
India are 97/4 after 15 overs, require 51 off 30 balls.
India are 89/4 after 14.2 overs, need 59 off 34 balls.
WICKET: Naseem removes Yadav. He departs for 18.
India are 89/3 after 14 overs, need 59 off 36 balls.
India are 83/3 after 13 overs, need 65 off 42 balls.
India 77/3 after 12 overs.
Jadeja gets another boundary off Nawaz.
India 69/3 after 11 overs.
Yadav sweeps Shadab for a boundary.
India 62/3 after 10 overs.
SIX: Jadeja decides to take on Nawaz, and hits him for a big six.
Massive WICKET: Nawaz removes Kohli. He departs for 29.
India are 53/3 in 9.1 overs.
India 50/2 after 8 overs.
WICKET: Nawaz gets Rohit. He departs for 12.
Rohit hits Nawaz for a six. India bring up 50 in 7.4 overs.
Powerplay done. India 38/1 after 6 overs.
India 29/1 after 5 overs
Kohli begins to stretch his arms and hits Dahani for another boundary.
India 23/1 after 4 overs
Kohli's top edge off Haris lands over the boundary for a six.
India 15/1 after 3 overs.
Kohli pulls Dahani for a four.
India 10/1 after 2 overs.
Kohli dropped on the very next ball.
WICKET: Naseem Shah gets KL Rahul for 0, India 1/1.
Pakistan innings
Pakistan bundled out for 147 in 19.5 overs. Set India a target of 148 in 20 overs.
WICKET: Arshdeep gets Dahani. He departs for 16.
Dahani hits Arshdeep for a huge six - his second of the innings.
Pakistan are 136/9 in 19 overs
Dahani hits Bhuvneshwar for a massive six.
WICKET: Bhuvneshwar gets Naseem. He departs for 0.
WICKET: Bhuvneshwar gets Shadab. He departs for 10.
Pakistan are 124/7 in 18 overs
WICKET: Arshdeep gets Nawaz. He departs for1.
Pakistan are 114/7 in 17.1 overs.
WICKET: Bhuvneshwar gets Asif Ali. He departs for 9.
Pakistan are 112/6 in 16.3 overs.
Pakistan are 111/5 after 16 overs.
Shadab (4), and Asif (9) are at the crease.
Pakistan reach 100 in the 15th over.
WICKET: Pandya gets Khushdil. He departs for 2.
Pakistan are 97/5 after 14.3 overs.
WICKET: Pandya gets Rizwan. He departs for 43.
Pakistan are 96/4 after 14.1 overs.
Pakistan are 90/3 after 13 overs
WICKET: Pandya gets Iftikhar. He departs for 24.
Pakistan are 87/3 after 12.1 overs.
Rizwan (36), and Iftikhar (28) accelerate the innings.
Pakistan are 87/2 after 12 overs.
Iftikhar hits Chahal for a huge six.
Pakistan are 68/2 after 10 overs.
Rizwan (24), and Iftikhar (12) rebuild the innings.
Pakistan are 59/2 after 8 overs.
WICKET: Avesh Khan gets Fakhar Zaman. He departs for 10, Pakistan 42/2 after 5.5 overs.
Rizwan sends Avesh Khan for a massive six. First maximum of the match.
Fakhar Zaman starts off with a boundary.
Pakistan are 23/1 after 4 overs.
WICKET: Bhuvneshwar gets Babar Azam. Pakistan captain departs for 10 runs.
Pakistan 15/1 after 2.3 overs.
Pakistan are 10/0 after two overs.
Babar Azam is unbeaten at 6, and Mohammad Rizwan is at 2.
Ahead of the game, Pakistan captain Babar Azam said, “I know there is tremendous excitement in both the countries but for us, it is just another game. Our preparations have been excellent and we will take the field oozing with confidence.”
Reflecting on Pakistan's victory over India last year, Babar said it was a good reference point, but that’s all.
He insisted that the team did not rely on his performances alone and that he had 11 match-winners in the lineup.
Meanwhile, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said that India have learnt from their previous loss to Pakistan but playing their arch-rivals in the hotly-anticipated match will be a challenge.
“The mood in the camp is buzzing. It’s a fresh tournament, a new start. Not to think about what has happened in the past and that’s how the team moves forward,” Rohit told reporters before the game began.
“It will be a challenge to play against Pakistan without a doubt, but for us what is important is what we are thinking as a group and what we want to achieve from this tournament.”
Head to head in Asia Cup
The two sides have come face to face on 14 occasions in the Asia Cup. India have an upper hand with eight wins, while Pakistan have won five, while one of the matches ended without any result.
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