India beat Pakistan to win Asian Games T20 gold in high-scoring final - The Indian Express

For a long time, India’s best-laid plans unravelled when a final came calling. That has changed over the last three years, and the latest evidence came in the Asian Games final, where India beat Pakistan by 19 runs at Japan’s Korogi Sports Park to win gold.

The victory was not built around a collective batting performance. It was carried by two very different innings, from Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, with Shivam Dube adding a timely cameo. The rest struggled on a slower turner.

Abhishek set the tone in the powerplay, taking on Pakistan’s spinners and quicks, using the depth of his crease and attacking anything short. When Saim Ayub dropped short, Abhishek pulled him over wide long-on. When Ahmed Daniyal bowled back of a length, he swung over midwicket.

The left-hander raced to his fifty in 20 balls and was eventually dismissed for 61 off 28, with three fours and seven sixes. Pakistan gave him chances too, dropping him at deep midwicket and surviving another chance behind the stumps, before he was stumped off Arafat Minhas.

His dismissal at 93/3 halted India’s momentum as others struggled to get going. Sooryavanshi, who had briefly threatened to take the game away with two sixes off Saad Masood, fell for 15 attempting a reverse sweep against Ayub. Sanju Samson made only two. Ishan Kishan scored 20 from 18 balls, Shreyas Iyer 21 from 24.

Tilak then played the innings that gave India the upper hand once more. His innings was almost the opposite of Abhishek’s: he did not try to take the game away from the start, taking his time before attacking once the death overs came. He hit Sufyan Moqim for consecutive sixes in the 18th over, then attacked Ayub with a four and six in the next. His unbeaten 51 off 22 gave India the finish they needed.

Dube played his part in that late surge, charging Ayub and striking two sixes and a four in three deliveries in the 19th over. His 27 off 15 gave India another lift before he fell. Tilak and Dube added 62 from 30 balls, changing the complexion of the innings after it had slowed in the middle phase, and helped India end on 211/6.

*** India’s defence was built around Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, who kept Pakistan under pressure through the first six overs. Axar struck twice, while Washington removed Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan as Pakistan slipped to 39/2.

Axar made the first breakthrough. Sadaqat miscued a sweep in the sixth over, and Washington completed the catch near the boundary. Axar then removed Usman Khan, spearing a full delivery into middle and leg and forcing a mistimed flick to Dube.

Washington was equally effective; his two overs cost only 13 and produced a wicket. But the grip loosened when Ravi Bishnoi and Abhishek came on. Bishnoi conceded 10 in his first over and 14 in his second, including two sixes to Hasan Nawaz. Abhishek’s over cost 10, with Nawaz hitting a six and surviving a dropped catch.

Pakistan reached 76/3 after 10 overs, with Nawaz 26 off 18. The required rate was still above 13, but Pakistan had begun to gather momentum.

Nawaz was the main threat. He attacked the spinners, punished anything short and repeatedly found the boundary as the required rate climbed. His 87-run stand with Saim Ayub gave Pakistan hope before Dube broke the partnership in the 15th over.

Nawaz reached his fifty in 29 balls and was given another chance when Washington dropped a catch off Dube. He kept Pakistan in the contest until the final over, reaching 96 off 51 balls with five fours and seven sixes.

Dube’s second over cost 16, but he had already removed Ayub in his first. Washington dismissed Abdul Samad in the 18th, while Bumrah bowled a tight 19th, leaving Pakistan needing 33 from the final six balls. Nawaz hit Dube for a four and a six in the final over, but the medium-pacer held his nerve. After a yorker and two dot balls, Nawaz was caught behind off the final ball, ending Pakistan’s chase at 192/6 and handing India another gold at these Asian Games.

Brief scores: India 211/6 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 61, Tilak Varma 51; Arafat Minhas 2/25) beat Pakistan 192/6 in 20 overs (Hasan Nawaz 96; Axar Patel 2/29, Washington Sundar 2/29) by 19 runs.

Based in Mumbai, Shankar Narayan has over five years of experience and his reporting has ranged from the Ranji Trophy to ICC World Cups, and he writes extensively on women’s cricket. ... Read More

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