Indian spinners dominate as Pakistan crumbles for 146 in Asia Cup final

Indian spinners put Pakistan under constant pressure, dismantling the top order and reversing the momentum gained during the powerplay, as the Green Shirts were bowled out for just 146 runs in the Asia Cup final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Sahibzada Farhan provided a strong start for Pakistan, smashing his second half-century against India, reaching 57 off 38 balls. Alongside Fakhar Zaman, he guided Pakistan through a solid powerplay without losing a wicket.

However, India’s Varun Chakaravarthy turned the tide by breaking the opening partnership, dismissing Farhan and removing Fakhar in the 15th over, triggering a collapse in Pakistan’s batting lineup.

Following Fakhar’s departure, wickets fell rapidly. Mohammad Haris, Shaheen Afridi, and Faheem Ashraf were all dismissed for ducks, further denting Pakistan’s chances of posting a competitive total.

Earlier, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to bowl first. Notably, he once again refused to shake hands with Pakistani skipper Salman Ali Agha — the third such incident during the tournament — raising eyebrows before the match even began.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha(c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris(w), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy