Asia Cup: Farhan’s fifty, Ashraf’s late cameo take Pakistan to 171/5 against India

Dubai, Sep 21 (IANS) Sahibzada Farhan top-scored with 58, while Faheem Ashraf added late impetus with an unbeaten 20 off eight balls, as Pakistan posted 171/5 in their 20 overs in the Asia Cup Super Fours fixture against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Sunday. 

Farhan’s half-century was the backbone of Pakistan’s innings, marked by his clever use of the crease and calculated footwork. The opener regularly manufactured shots and disrupted India’s lengths, especially during the Power-play, when he took the attack to an off-colour Jasprit Bumrah, who conceded 34 runs in his first three overs.

Pakistan looked set to get a much bigger total after racing to 91/1 in the first 10 overs, with Farhan sharing a 72-run stand with Saim Ayub for the second wicket. But Pakistan lost momentum once Shivam Dube was introduced into the attack.

Dube, along with Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, applied the brakes effectively to stifle Pakistan’s scoring, as only 38 runs were made between overs 11 and 17. Though Pakistan did recover some ground in the final three overs, yielding 42 runs, the total feels underwhelming given their early dominance. While Dube took 2-33, Kuldeep and Hardik Pandya took a wicket each.

Pushed into batting first, Farhan survived an early scare when Abhishek Sharma dropped his catch in the first over by Pandya. The move to promote Fakhar Zaman began well when he flicked Bumrah for four, before dancing down the pitch off the pacer to get another boundary off a drive.

But Zaman’s promising start was cut short in the third over when he edged a slower delivery from Pandya and carried just enough to go into Sanju Samson’s gloves, with the third umpire confirming the same.

Coming at three, Saim Ayub got his first runs of the competition by pulling Pandya for four, before getting a reprieve on four when Kuldeep dropped his catch at short fine leg off Chakaravarthy.

From the other end, Farhan continued to be solid by smacking Bumrah for four boundaries and slog-swept Chakaravarthy for another four, as Pakistan ended the Power-play at 55/1. After Abhishek parried a tough chance of Farhan over long-on for six, he and Ayub put Kuldeep under pressure by taking a maximum each off him.

Farhan brought up his fifty in 34 balls by rocking back to pull Axar Patel for a massive six. But after that, with boundaries drying up, India began to make inroads. Ayub top-edged a pull to a forward diving Abhishek at fine leg off Dube, while Hussain Talat mistimed a reverse sweep to short third man off Kuldeep, and Farhan lost grip on the bat while trying to heave off Dube, and was caught by extra cover.

Pakistan began its back-end revival when Salman lofted a googly from Kuldeep over long-off for six, before Mohammad Nawaz swatted and edged Dube for six and four respectively. But India bounced back as a direct hit from Kuldeep caught Nawaz wandering outside the crease, as he fell for 21.

After Ashraf swatted a Bumrah full toss for six, India almost had him out if Shubman Gill hadn’t dropped his catch at deep mid-wicket. That shelled chance proved to be costly as Ashraf edged and carved Pandya for four and six to take Pakistan past 170.

Brief scores:

Pakistan 171/5 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 58, Saim Ayub 21; Shivam Dube 2-33, Hardik Pandya 1-29) against India

--IANS

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