Pakistan thrash India to lift Emerging Asia Cup trophy
Cricket
Emerging Asia Cup final: Ton-up Tayyab Tahir smashes blistering 71-ball 108
COLOMBO (Web Desk) – Tayyab Tahir’s scintillating 71-ball 108 and Sahibzada Farhan's clinical 62-ball 65 led the Pakistan Shaheens to their second ACC Men's Emerging Cup crown after they thumped India A by 128 runs in the final at Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu (PSS) Stadium on Sunday.
INDIA A's INNINGS
Chasing a target total of 353, India A were bundled out for 224. Only Abhishek Sharma (61 off 51), Yash Dhull (39 off 41), Sai Sudharsan (29 off 28) showed some resistance with the bat for their team.
Other batters, Nikin Jose (11), Nishant Sindhu (10), Dhruv Jhel (9), Riyan Parag (14), Harshit Rana (13), Manav Suthar (7), Rajvardhan Hangargekar (11), Yuvrajsinh Dodiya (5) failed to show any significant resistance with the bat.
The Indian openers – Sudharsan and Sharma started off brilliantly by putting up a swift 64-run partnership, before Sudharsan was removed by Arshad Iqbal.
The loss of Sudharsan started the slide and it went downhill thereafter.
For the Shaheens, Sufiyan Muqeem (3-66) spearheaded the bowling attack, scooping up three wickets.
Mehran Mumtaz (2-30), Arshad Iqbal (2-34) and Mohammad Wasim (2-26) bagged two wickets apiece.
Mubashir Khan (10) also picked up a wicket, flummoxing Nishant Sindhu.
Qasim Akram (0-23) remained wicketless.
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 23, 2023
SHAHEENS' INNINGS
After being put into bat first, the Shaheens openers treated the India A’s bowlers with utter contempt and posted a mammoth 352-8 against the arch-rivals.
Saim Ayub (59 off 51) and Sahibzada Farhan (65 off 62) had provided their team with the brilliant platform. Saim and Farhan formed a brilliant partnership, scoring 121 off just 104 balls, before Saim Ayub was undone by Manav Suthar.
But the Shaheens ensured to avert the pressure by building important partnerships.
Tayyab Tahir played a crucial role to power his team to a challenging total against India A. Tahir clobbered 12 boundaries and four towering sixes.
Omair Yousuf (35 off 35) and Mubasir Khan (35 off 47) also made significant contribution for their team, scoring 35 each.
Mohammad Wasim made a solid contribution, scoring unconquered 10-ball 17, studding with one four and a sixer. Sufiyan Muqeem also remained unbeaten on 8-ball 4.
Qasim Akram was flummoxed by Riyan Parag on 0 (1). Mohammad Haris was trapped by Nishant Sindhu on 2 (6).
Mehran Mumtaz smashed two boundaries, before he was undone by Harshit Rana on 10-ball 13.
Riyan Parag (2-24) and Rajvardhan Hangargekar (2-48) bagged two wickets apiece.
Harshit Rana (1-51), Manav Suthar (1-68) and Nishant Sindhu (1-48) took a scalp each.
Abhishek Sharma (0-54) and Yuvrajsinh Dodiya (0-56) remained wicketless.
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 23, 2023
