Pakistan stopped India’s unbeaten streak in the Twenty20 format of Asia Cup cricket on Sunday (September 4) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium when they won the contest by 5 wickets with a ball in hand. The match was the first fixture for both the teams in the Super Four round. Key points of the India vs Pakistan contest as well as India’s first T20 defeat in the Asia Cup cricket are discussed in this article.

India’s brilliant run in the Twenty20 format Asia Cup cricket

The Indian team won all of their five matches in the first edition of the T20 Asia Cup in 2016 in Bangladesh, followed by two group stage matches in the 2022 edition. However, India’s brilliant run came to an end when their arch-rival Pakistan overcame them in a crucial Super Four round clash.

After winning seven consecutive matches in the Twenty20 format, India suffered their first defeat in the Asia Cup cricket event. They had a brilliant outing in the 2016 Twenty20 Asia Cup cricket. The Indian side won four matches in the group stage before overpowering the host Bangladesh by eight wickets in the final of the 2016 Asia Cup.

Read: Asia Cup 2022: 17 milestones await Indian and Pakistani players

India’s match results in the Twenty20-format Asia Cup (as on September 4, 2022)

   Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/

Read Ind v Pak: This time it's Pakistan's turn to edge a thriller

Asia Cup 2022: Key takeaways from the India vs Pakistan Super 4 Match

Batting first, India had a blazing start to their innings and eventually settled for 181/7 in their allotted 20 overs. In reply, Pakistan chased down the target in 19.5 overs with 5 wickets in hand. With this victory, Pakistan avenged their group stage match loss to India last week. Here are some key talking points from the match.

Toss

Prior to the contest, fielding first had won fifteen out of seventeen matches in Dubai since 2021. That is why the toss has become a vital factor at this venue because every captain wants to field first. The Pakistan vs India Super Four match was no exception, as Babar Azam chose to field first. His decision was proved right as Pakistan won the contest in the final over.

Indian openers’ fiery start

The Rohit Sharma-KL Rahul pair finally had a blazing start in the Asia Cup 2022. They made 54 runs together in 5 overs against Pakistan before Rohit gave away his wicket to Haris Rauf in the first ball of the sixth over. Rohit played a 28 off 16 balls, indicating his coming back to actual rhythm. Rahul, on the other hand, contributed 28 runs off 20 balls.

Read Mushfiqur Rahim retires from T20Is

Virat Kohli’s solid batting display

Virat scored a half-century against Pakistan, making it two in a row in this event. Kohli’s solid 60 off 44 balls guided India to post a challenging total on board. However, he wasn’t so ruthless in his innings and even conceded three consecutive dot balls in the final over before getting run out in the fourth delivery.

Shadab Khan’s disciplined bowling

Pakistan’s leg-spinner Shadab Khan had another brilliant game with the ball. He had good control in his bowling, making Indian batters work hard to score runs. Shadab picked up the wickets of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant and finished his spell with a 4-0-31-2 bowling figure.

Rizwan’s another responsible batting display

Mohammad Rizwan is arguably the best T20 opener in the world right now. He once again played a responsible 71 off 51 balls and formed a 73-run stand with Mohammad Nawaz. When Rizwan was dismissed, Pakistan had 147 runs on board in 16.5 overs. At that stage, they were only 35 runs away from victory.

Read Dahani ruled out of Pakistan match against India in Super 4

Improving Mohammad Nawaz's batting order

When Pakistan were down to 63/2 within the 9th over, sending pinch-hitter Mohammad Nawaz to the crease was a brilliant decision by captain Babar Azam. Rizwan didn’t disappoint his captain by playing a 42 off 20 balls. His aggressive batting display put India on the backfoot.

Arshdeep Singh's dropped catch and Pakistan's victory

India fought hard till the end and they were even a slight favourite when Pakistan required 32 off 16 balls. Had Arshdeep Singh not missed a straightforward catch of Asif Ali in the short third man area on the third ball of the 18th over, India would have been in a better position. Asif finished his innings with 16 off 8 before losing his wicket on the fourth ball of the last over and Pakistan won the match on the following delivery.

Bottom Line

There is a high expectation that India and Pakistan will play three matches during the Asia Cup 2022, including the final. The cricketing world has already witnessed two closely-contested matches between the two arch-rivals in the ongoing event. India won the first match in the group phase, while Pakistan handed India their first T20 defeat in the Asia Cup cricket. The India vs Pakistan Super Four match gave both sides some valuable points. The fans are now eagerly waiting to see who will come out on top if both sides meet in the final match.

Read Sri Lanka beats Afghans to open Asia Cup's Super 4 stage