Team India held their nerves to register a thrilling five-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2022 opener at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (August 28).
Opting to bowl first, India bundled out Pakistan for a modest 147 in 19.5 overs, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4-26) and Hardik Pandya (3-25) registering remarkable bowling performances.
In reply, the Men in Blue lost KL Rahul for a first-ball duck but the duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma added 49 runs for the second wicket to calm things down.
However, both Rohit (12) and Kohli (35) got out in quick succession to leave India struggling at 53/3. Amid the pressure situation, Ravindra Jadeja and Suryakumar Yadav forged a 36-run stand to bail the team out of trouble. Just when it seemed that the pair will take the match away from Pakistan, Suryakumar got out on 18.
In the end, Jadeja and Hardik Pandya stitched a crucial 52-run partnership to put India on the brink of victory. While the southpaw (35) got out within a touching distance from the victory, Hardik (33* off 17 balls) held the one end firmly and finished the chase 19.4 overs with a huge six over long-on.
After the game, Rohit Sharma and his men garnered rich praises from the fans and cricket experts. However, the ultimate compliment came from India’s honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Taking to Twitter, PM Modi congratulated the Indian team, stating: “#TeamIndia put up a spectacular all-round performance in today’s #AsiaCup2022 match. The team has displayed superb skill and grit. Congratulations to them on the victory.”
