India commenced their Asia Cup campaign with a dominant nine-wicket victory over UAE. After UAE were put in to bat, they collapsed to a paltry 57 all out, their lowest T20I total, thanks to India’s potent spin and seam attack. India chased down the target swiftly in just 4.
India may have sprung a surprise by including Sanju Samson in the playing XI but there was nothing surprising about the direction this contest took. The eight-time champions opened their Asia Cup campaign with a commanding nine-wicket win over UAE at the DICS on Wednesday.Put in to bat by Suryakumar Yadav, the hosts crumbled to their lowest-ever T20I total — 57 all out in 13 overs — as India’s spinners and seamers shared the spoils.
India’s chase was a mere formality, cruising home in 4.3 overs with the loss of Abhishek Sharma’s (30 off 16 balls) wicket. Shubman Gill (20 off 9 balls) and Suryakumar Yadav (7 balls) remained unbeaten. Interestingly, Surya reclaimed the No. 3 spot in the batting order — a position he vacated for Tilak Varma last year.
Despite showing promise in the recent Tri-series against Pakistan and Afghanistan, Lalchand Rajput’s side found the gulf in class too wide to bridge. Kuldeep Yadav (4-7), Varun Chakravarthy (1-4) and Axar Patel (1-13) spun a web around the middle order, while Shivam Dube (3-4) and Jasprit Bumrah (1-19) knocked over the rest. It was a proper carrot and stick treatment as India dangled the carrot at the UAE batters and then the batters gave their bowlers a proper thumping.
UAE actually began brightly, racing to 25 in three overs courtesy of opener Alishan Sharafu’s clean striking — three boundaries and a six over extra cover off Axar Patel. But Bumrah ended his cameo with a trademark yorker that crashed into the base of off stump.
UAE stuttered from 47-2 to 57 all out.On a fresh Dubai surface that was expected to aid the pacers, it was the spinners who took control as the ball began to grip and turn. Chakravarthy opened the floodgates, forcing Muhammad Zohaib to slice to backward point, where Kuldeep took a fine catch while pedalling back. Kuldeep’s triple strike in the ninth over left UAE gasping at 50-5 before Dube’s military-medium wrapped up the innings.
There was even a rare moment of sportsmanship when India withdrew a run-out appeal after tailender Junaid Siddique absent-mindedly wandered out of his crease — distracted by a towel slipping from Dube’s trousers.The UAE attack hardly troubled the Indian openers, with Sharma taking 10 runs off the first over from Haider Ali.
Gill soon joined the party, whipping a full delivery from Muhammad Rohid over the fence. Sharma was in a destructive mood, hammering three sixes and a couple of boundaries in his breezy knock.While the contest was far from an ideal workout for India ahead of Sunday’s clash against Pakistan, the champions look in such ruthless touch that another dominant performance may well be on the cards.