India Crush Pakistan with Dominant Chase in Dubai
India delivered a commanding performance in the Super Four clash of the Asia Cup 2025, comfortably chasing down Pakistan’s total of 171/5 at the Dubai International Stadium on September 21 (Sunday). The run chase was marked by explosive batting, starting with a breathtaking opening partnership and ending with a calm, classy finish by young star Tilak Varma.
Openers Abhishek Sharma (74 off 39) and Shubman Gill (49 off 28) laid the perfect foundation, adding 105 runs in just 9.5 overs. Their aggressive approach took the game away from Pakistan early, silencing the threat posed by the pace duo of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf.
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar was all praise for the Indian top order, especially Tilak Varma, who sealed the game in style. In his column for The Sportstar, Gavaskar wrote:
“In the end, another super-talented batter, Tilak Varma, treated Pakistan’s premier bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi, like a net-ball spinner and smashed him around to wrap a win with deliveries to spare.”
Tilak remained unbeaten on 30 off 19 balls, including two boundaries and a towering six off Afridi in the final overs. His composed finish underscored India’s depth and maturity in pressure situations.
Shaheen, Rauf Falter as Pakistan’s Bowling Fails to Deliver
Pakistan’s bowlers had a tough outing yet again. Shaheen Afridi, their pace spearhead, conceded 40 runs in just 3.5 overs, following a poor showing in the earlier group-stage match where he went for 23 in 2 overs. His struggles continued despite attempts to unsettle the Indian batters with aggressive body language and sledging.
Haris Rauf tried to back up Afridi with more controlled bowling, finishing with 2/26 from 4 overs, but failed to create any meaningful pressure or breakthroughs during the crucial powerplay phase.
Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh, speaking on Sports Today, criticized Pakistan’s senior bowlers for lacking substance behind their aggression:
“If talks were to win the game, I think they would have won. But it was between bat and ball, and that’s where India were far, far ahead.
Their senior bowlers like Haris or Shaheen went for plenty and couldn’t get a single wicket in the first six overs. If your experienced players are only shouting and not delivering, you’ll see the results they are getting.”
With this win, India have one foot in the final. They will next face Bangladesh on September 24, while Pakistan will look to keep their hopes alive against Sri Lanka on September 22.
