Asia Cup: Pakistan emerge winner in nail-biting thriller against India

DUBAI: Mohammad Rizwan hit an attacking 71 as Pakistan beat India by five wickets in a last-over Super Four thriller at the Asia Cup on Sunday.

Chasing 182 for victory, Pakistan achieved their target with one ball to spare in Dubai thanks to a key 73-run stand between Rizwan and Mohammad Nawaz (42).

Rizwan was out after his second successive half-century in the 17th over but Khushdil Shah, with his unbeaten 14, and Asif Ali, who made 16 off eight balls, made sure Pakistan got over the line against Arshdeep Singh.

Reprieved after Arshdeep dropped an easy catch at short third man, Asif hit a six and two fours before falling with two balls left, leaving Iftikhar Ahmed to knock off the remaining two runs.

Earlier, Virat Kohli's 60 guided India to 181-7 after being put in to bat first.

Pakistan started their chase cautiously and lost skipper Babar Azam for 14 with leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi luring the batsman into a chip straight to mid-wicket.

The in-form Rizwan, who made 43 and 78 in the previous two matches, hit back with three boundaries off pace bowler Hardik Pandya and a six in the next over.

He put on 41 runs with Fakhar Zaman who played a scratchy knock of 13 before falling to Yuzvendra Chahal's leg spin.

Pakistan promoted the left-handed Nawaz, primarily a spinner, in the batting order to up the scoring and he delivered by promptly hitting a four and six.

Rizwan, who hurt himself keeping wicket after landing awkwardly on his right leg but was able to continue, anchored the innings and reached fifty in 37 balls.

Nawaz smashed five fours and two sixes in his 20-ball blitz and stood firm with Rizwan before getting out to Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Pandya removed Rizwan as India sensed a turnaround but the left-handed Khushdil and Asif pulled off the chase as Pakistan avenged their loss to India in the group stage.

Star batsman Kohli, who hit 60 off 44 balls before being run out in the final over, helped India survive a middle-order stutter to post a competitive total.

He reached his 32nd half-century in 36 balls with a six off pace bowler Mohammad Hasnain amid chants of "Kohli, Kohli" at a packed stadium.

Leg-spinner Shadab Khan stood out with figures of 2-31 from his four overs.

Scoreboard from the Asia Cup T20 international Super Four between India and Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday:

   India
   KL Rahul c Nawaz b Shadab        28
   R. Sharma c Khushdil b Rauf      28
   V. Kohli run out (Asif)          60
   S. Yadav c Asif b Nawaz          13
   R. Pant c Asif b Shadab          14
   H. Pandya c Nawaz b Hasnain       0
   D. Hooda c Nawaz b Naseem        16
   B. Kumar not out                  0
   R. Bishnoi not out                8
   Extras (b4, w10)                 14
   Total (7 wickets, 20 overs)     181

   Did not bat: A. Singh, Y. Chahal 

   Fall of wickets: 1-54 (Rohit), 2-62 (Rahul), 3-91 (Suryakumar), 4-126 (Pant), 5-131 (Pandya), 6-168 (Hooda), 7-173 (Kohli)

   Bowling: Naseem 4-0-45-1, Hasnain 4-0-38-1 (w3), Rauf 4-0-38-1 (w6), Nawaz 4-0-25-1, Shadab 4-0-31-2 (w1)

   Pakistan (target 182)
   M. Rizwan c Suryakumar b Pandya 71
   B. Azam c Rohit b Bishnoi       14
   F. Zaman c Kohli b Chahal       15
   M. Nawaz c Hooda b Kumar        42
   K. Shah not out                 14
   A. Ali lbw b Arshdeep           16
   I. Ahmed not out                 2
   Extras (lb2, w6)                 8
   Total (5 wickets, 19.5 overs)  182

   Did not bat: S. Khan, H. Rauf, M. Hasnain, N. Shah 

   Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Azam), 2-63 (Fakhar), 3-136 (Nawaz), 4-147 (Rizwan), 5-180 (Asif)

   Bowling: Kumar 4-0-40-1 (w2), Arshdeep 3.5-0-27-1, Bishnoi 4-0-26-1 (w3), Pandya 4-0-44-1 (w1), Chahal 4-0-43-1

   Toss: Pakistan
   Result: Pakistan won by five wickets
   Umpires: Masudur Rahman (BAN), Raveendra Wimalasiri (SRI)
   TV Umpire: Ruchira Palliyaguruge (SRI)
   Match Referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

Live updates

Pakistan innings

That's it. Pakistan win the nail-biting thriller by 5 wickets.

Pakistan - 175/4 in 19 overs.

Pakistan - 148/4 in 17 overs.

WICKET: Hardik Pandya removes Rizwan for 71.

Rizwan pulls Hardik for a boundary.

Pakistan - 139/3 after 16 overs.

Pakistan - 136/3 after 15.3 overs.

WICKET: Bhuvneshwar Kumar takes an important wicket. He removes in-form Nawaz for 42.

Pakistan 135/2 in 15 overs

Rizwan joins the party. Cuts Chahal for another boundary.

Mohammad Nawaz is turning it on for Pakistan. He scores two boundaries of two balls against Chahal.

Pakistan 119/2 after 14 overs.

Pakistan 107/2 after 13 overs.

Rizwan brings up his 50 in 37 overs.

100 up for Pakistan in 12.2 overs.

Pakistan 96/2 after 12 overs.

SIX: Nawaz hits a massive six to Bishnoi.

Pakistan 86/2 after 11 overs.

SIX: Rizwan sends Chahal to the stands.

Pakistan 76/2 after 10 overs.

SIX: Mohammad Nawaz hits Pandya for a huge six.

Pakistan - 67/2 after 9 overs.

Mohammad Nawaz walks in.

Pakistan - 63/2 after 8.4 overs.

WICKET: Fakhar Zaman goes for 15 after 8.4 overs.

Pakistan - 51/1 after 7 overs.

50 comes up for Pakistan in 6.4 overs.

Pakistan - 44/1 after 6 overs.

SIX: Rizwan hits Arshdeep Singh for s massive six.

Pakistan - 36/1 after 5 overs.

Rizwan welcomes Hardik Pandya with a four.

Pakistan - 22/1 after 3.4 overs.

WICKET: Bishnoi removes Babar Azam. He departs for 14.

Pakistan 11/0 after 2 overs.

India innings

Earlier, India made a flying start to their innings after Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first in the second match of the Super 4 round in the Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday. The match is being played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.

Innings: India set 182-run target for Pakistan.

India - 181/7 after 20 overs.

WICKET: Virat Kohli run out after scoring 60 runs.

India - 171/6 after 19 overs

WICKET: Naseem Shah gets Hooda. He goes for 16.

India - 168/6 after 18.4 overs.

India - 164/5 after 18 overs.

SIX: Virat Kohli brings up his fifty with a huge six.

India bring up 150 in 17.1 overs.

India - 148/5 after 17 overs.

India - 140/5 after 16 overs.

India - 135/5 after 15 overs.

WICKET: Hardik Pandya departs for a duck.

India - 131/5 after 14.4 overs.

India - 126/4 after 13.5 overs.

WICKET: Shadab gets Pant. He departs for 14.

India - 118/3 after 13 overs

India - 105/3 after 12 overs

India - 101/3 after 11 overs.

Hundred up for India in 10.4 overs

India - 93/3 after 10 overs.

WICKET: Nawaz removes Yadav. He departs for 13.

India - 71/2 after 7 overs.

India - 62/2 after 6.1 overs.

WICKET: Shadab Khan removes KL Rahul. He departs for 28.

India - 62/1 after 6 overs.

WICKET: Haris Rauf removes Rohit Sharma. He departs for 28.

India 54/1 after 5.1 overs

India bring up 50 in 4.2 overs.

India - 46/0 after 4 overs

Rohit Sharma is in sublime form. He welcomes Haris Rauf with a four and a next-ball six.

India - 34/0 after 3 overs

Naseem concedes 14 runs in his second over.

SIX: KL Rahul hits Naseem Shah for a massive six.

India - 20/0 after 2 overs

India - 11/0 after 1 over.

Rohit Sharma starts the innings with a bang and hits Naseem Shah for a four and a six in the first over.

Earlier, Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and said they will bowl first, expecting dew in the second half.

Speaking at the toss, Babar said he wanted to continue the momentum from the last game.

The skipper noted that fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain will replace Shahnawaz Dahani who had been ruled out of the mega clash due to a side strain.

Meanwhile, India skipper Rohit Sharma said India too wanted to bowl.

"In these games, momentum really, really counts. Based on the opposition, we had to make some changes," he said, noting that Hardik Pandya has returned to the squad, while Deepak Hooda and Ravi Bishnoi are also in the final lineup. Karthik has been rested while Rishabh Pant will keep wickets.

Pakistan lost the opening game against India but hammered Hong Kong by 155 runs to enter the Super Stage of the tournament, which acts as a tune-up for the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Pakistan vs India playing XIs

India: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Pakistan: 1 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 2 Babar Azam (capt), 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Iftikhar Ahmed, 5 Khushdil Shah, 6 Shadab Khan, 7 Asif Ali, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Haris Rauf, 10 Mohammad Hasnain, 11 Naseem Shah