A disciplined Indian bowling attack kept Pakistan in check, restricting them to 241 in 49.4 overs in their ICC Champions Trophy group-stage match at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals. They struggled to forge effective partnerships when they needed it most. In contrast, the Indian bowlers managed breakthroughs in crucial moments that restricted Pakistan to a moderate total.
After electing to bat first, Pakistan got off to a cautious start but lost Babar Azam early for 23, caught behind off Hardik Pandya. Imam-ul-Haq followed soon after, run out for 10, leaving Pakistan at 47 for 2 inside 10 overs.
Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan steadied the innings with a 104-run partnership for the third wicket.
Shakeel looked fluent, scoring 62 off 76 balls with five fours, while Rizwan posted a slow 46 off 77 with three fours.
However, just as Pakistan seemed to be gaining momentum, India struck back. Kuldeep Yadav dismissed both Salman Agha (19) and Naseem Shah (14), while Ravindra Jadeja removed Tayyab Tahir for 4, breaking Pakistan’s middle-order resistance.
Pakistan’s lower order failed to accelerate in the death overs. Khushdil Shah provided some late runs with a 39-ball 38, including two sixes, but wickets tumbled at regular intervals. The final five wickets fell for just 41 runs as India wrapped up the innings with two balls to spare.
Kuldeep was the best bowler for India, finishing with 3 for 40, while Pandya (2 for 31) and Harshit Rana (1 for 30) provided important breakthroughs.
