India A registered an emphatic win over arch-rivals Pakistan A at the Oman International Stadium on Saturday in their Group B encounter in the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.
Tilak Varma and Co. posted a total of 183 runs for the loss of 8 wickets riding on the skipper’s 44-run knock, before limiting the Pakistani A side to 176 for 7 to pick up the two points on offer.
India opened the innings with Abhishek Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh, who got the men in blue off to a good start as they put up a 68-runs for the first wicket before the former was scalped by Sufiyan Muqeen for 35 runs off 22 balls.
Prabhsimran was sent back to the hut by Arafat Minhas after the opener had added 36 runs off just 19 deliveries. Nehal Wadhera added 25 runs off 22 deliveries before being scalped by Muqeem.
Qasim Akram dismissed Ayush Badoni cheaply for 2 runs off 3 deliveries before Tilak’s innings was brought to a halt by Zaman Khan.
Ramandeep Singh added 17 runs before being caught short of the crease by Mohammad Imran Junior before Nishanth Sindhu suffered a similar fate as he was run out for 6 off 3 by Abdul Samad.
Imran Junior dismissed Anshul Kamboj for a duck, before Rahul Chahar and Rasikh Salam remained unbeaten at 4 and 6 runs respectively as Indian totalled 183 runs at the end of the 20 overs.
Pakistan started the chase off in style with a six from skipper Mohammad Harris in the very first delivery, but the skipper was castled by Kamboj in the very next delivery.
Kamboj picked up his second wicket of the day with the dismissal of Omair Yousuf for 2 off 7 deliveries.
Yasir Khan and Akram stitched up a 54-run stand for the third wicket before Ramandeep produced a superhuman effort in the deep to hold onto a catch that stunned everyone in the crowd. Yasir, still in disbelief at what had forced him to walk back, was scalped for 33 runs by Sindhu.
Akram fell shortly after for 27 off 21 deliveries to Sindhu in the very same over as the set batters departed the crease one after the other.
Minhas kept Pakistan in the game with his brilliant pinch-hitting ability in the middle overs, while Haider Ali was cleaned out by Rasikh for just 9 off 15 deliveries.
Abdul Samad got going straight from the gates as he ensured the game wouldn’t be a write-off with some smashing shots whacking the Indian bowlers all over the park.
Minhas fell to Rasikh after having made a contribution of 41 runs.
Pakistan headed into the final over needing 17 runs to win, but Kamboj struck again to dismiss the destructive Samad for 25 off 12 to strengthen India’s position.
Abbas Afridi added 18 off 9 and Zaman Khan added a run as they both remained unbeaten, but couldn’t help their side over the line as they finished 7 runs shy of the target at 176 as India walked out winners.
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