India beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the Asian Games cricket final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, on Saturday. After posting a testing target of 212, India’s bowlers kept Pakistan to 192-6 despite a brave and unbeaten 96 from Hasan Nawaz.
How India Built a Big Total
India chose to bat first, and openers Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma wasted no time, hitting early boundaries to put Pakistan on the back foot. Saim Ayub broke the 28-run opening stand by removing Sooryavanshi, who made 15 off nine balls with two fours, on the first delivery of the third over.
Abhishek kept attacking and cleared the ropes regularly as India crossed 50 in the fourth over. Ahmed Daniyal then dismissed Sanju Samson for two off four balls, leaving India on 51-2 after 3.5 overs.
Abhishek reached his 13th T20I half-century in emphatic style before Arafat Minhas removed him for 61 off 28 deliveries. His innings included three fours and seven sixes.
Captain Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan then steadied the innings and took India past 100. Minhas ended their 35-run stand by dismissing Kishan for 20 off 18 balls, which left India at 128-4 after 13.1 overs. Abrar Ahmed soon followed by bowling Iyer for 21 off 24 deliveries.
Shivam Dube eased the pressure with a couple of boundaries, and India passed 150 in the 17th over. Tilak Varma added to the momentum with back-to-back sixes off Sufiyan Muqeem in the 18th over.
Daniyal dismissed Dube for 27 off 15 balls with the first delivery of the last over. Dube’s knock had two fours and two sixes. Varma kept going, hitting a six to push India beyond 200 and another to complete his 10th T20I fifty. He finished unbeaten on 51 off 22 balls, with three fours and four sixes, as India closed on 211-6.
Daniyal and Minhas took two wickets each for Pakistan, while Abrar and Saim claimed one apiece.
Pakistan’s Chase Falls Short
Pakistan began the chase well. Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat added 33 before Washington Sundar dismissed Farhan for 10 off 11 balls.
Axar Patel struck in the next over, removing wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan for three off six deliveries and leaving Pakistan on 36-2 after 4.5 overs. Axar then dismissed Maaz for 23 off 18 balls, an innings that included three fours, and Pakistan slipped to 39-3 after 6.1 overs.
Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz then rebuilt the innings with a solid partnership that carried the total beyond 100. Nawaz led from the front and reached his third T20I half-century.
Dube ended the 87-run stand by dismissing Saim for 29 off 22 balls, a knock that featured two fours and a six. Sundar then removed Abdul Samad for nine off nine, one boundary among them, and Pakistan were 162-5 after 17.3 overs.
With 33 needed from the final over, the target was out of reach. Nawaz stayed unbeaten on 96 off 51 deliveries, hitting five fours and seven sixes, while Saad Masood chipped in with 12. Pakistan ended on 192-6.
Axar, Sundar and Dube each finished with two wickets as India sealed the title.