Dubai: The Super 4 showdown between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium was a spectacle of intense rivalry, featuring audacious batting, tense bowling, dropped catches, and dramatic moments. Yet, one element remained remarkably consistent: India’s undeniable dominance, securing another comfortable victory.
Chasing a target of 172 set by Pakistan, India’s pursuit was spearheaded by a blistering 105-run opening partnership from Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, setting the stage for a six-wicket win. Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya calmly guided India across the finish line in the 19th over, marking India’s fifth consecutive T20I triumph against their fierce rivals, extending their lead to 12-3 in this storied contest.
Left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma immediately stamped his authority, launching Shaheen Shah Afridi for a six off the very first ball. Not to be outdone, Shubman Gill joined the assault, smashing successive fours off part-timer Saim Ayub in the next over. From that moment, the Indian opening duo, often referred to as the ‘Punjab pair’, unleashed a relentless attack, striking boundaries to all parts of the stadium.
Pakistan’s fiery pacer, Haris Rauf, attempted to disrupt India’s rhythm in the fifth over, but an uncontrolled outside edge from Abhishek’s bat still raced to the boundary. The tension escalated dramatically in the very next over when Gill powerfully drove Rauf through mid-wicket. This shot ignited a heated exchange between the players, forcing the umpires to intervene and restore calm.
Shubman Gill’s impressive innings came to an end at 47 runs (28 balls, 8 fours) when he was bowled trying to attack Faheem Ashraf, having battled cramps. The momentum seemed to shift briefly as captain Suryakumar Yadav fell for a three-ball duck, top-edging a flick off Rauf to Abrar Ahmed at third man. This was Rauf’s third dismissal of Surya in T20Is. Undeterred, Abhishek Sharma maintained his aggressive approach, achieving the second-fastest fifty in India-Pakistan T20 history in a mere 24 balls. His sensational knock of 74 runs (34 balls, 6 fours, 5 sixes) concluded when he was caught by Rauf at long-on off Ahmed’s bowling.
Earlier in the match, India, the defending champions, displayed an uncharacteristically sloppy performance in the field, dropping four crucial catches. Even star bowler Jasprit Bumrah had an off-night, recording his third-most expensive T20I figures by conceding 45 runs from his four overs without taking a wicket. Capitalizing on this, Pakistan surged to 91 runs within the first 10 overs, largely thanks to Sahibzada Farhan’s aggressive batting, particularly against Bumrah, who gave away 34 runs in his initial three overs.
Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub forged a valuable 72-run partnership for the second wicket. However, Pakistan’s scoring rate significantly slowed down once Shivam Dube was introduced into the bowling attack. Dube, alongside spinner Varun Chakravarthy, effectively tightened the screws after the halfway stage, resulting in Pakistan enduring a frustrating period of over six overs without hitting a boundary.
The fielding blunders didn’t stop there. Kuldeep Yadav also grassed a straightforward catch offered by Saim Ayub, and Shubman Gill dropped Faheem Ashraf at midwicket in the penultimate over. Jasprit Bumrah, who had been rested for the previous game against Oman, appeared out of sorts. He was hit for six boundaries and a six in his initial three overs, contributing to Pakistan’s rapid start of 55 runs in the Powerplay.
Sahibzada Farhan, having benefited from India’s dropped catches, celebrated his fifty with a ‘gun salute’ after lofting Axar Patel for a six over mid-wicket. His fortunate innings ended when he was dismissed by Shivam Dube for 58 runs (5 fours, 1 six) while trying to increase the scoring rate. Dube, despite conceding 17 runs in his final over, ended with respectable figures of 2 for 33.