Nisshin: India successfully defended their Asian Games men’s cricket gold medal, defeating Pakistan by 19 runs in a thrilling final in Nisshin on Saturday.
India posted 211 for 6 after explosive half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, before restricting Pakistan to 192 for 6 despite a stunning 51-ball 96 from Hasan Nawaz.
The result gave India a 4-3 advantage over Pakistan in finals of major tournaments involving five or more teams across formats.
India made an aggressive start on a slow and turning pitch, with Abhishek Sharma taking the attack to Pakistan’s bowlers. He smashed 61 off 27 balls, including seven sixes, before being dismissed in the eighth over with India on 93 for 3.
Pakistan’s spinners subsequently tightened their lines and restricted India during the middle overs. India were 142 for 5 after 16 overs, but Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube accelerated in the closing stages.
The pair struck six sixes between them during the final four overs. Tilak finished unbeaten on 51 and helped India add 69 runs in the final four overs. India eventually reached 211 for 6.
Pakistan’s chase began with a 33-run opening stand before Washington Sundar dismissed Sahibzada Farhan. Pakistan soon slipped to 39 for 3, but Nawaz kept the chase alive.
After surviving an early chance, Nawaz launched an aggressive counterattack, hitting three sixes in his next five balls. He combined with Saim Ayub for an 87-run partnership from 48 balls, with Nawaz contributing 57 off 26 deliveries.
Ayub was dismissed by Shivam Dube in the 15th over, leaving Pakistan needing 86 runs from 35 balls with six wickets in hand.
India then turned to Jasprit Bumrah for the crucial 19th over. Pakistan needed 44 runs from the final two overs, but Bumrah conceded only 11, leaving the equation at 33 from the final six balls.
Dube bowled the final over and conceded a boundary and a wide early in the over. However, he followed it with a precise yorker that effectively ended Pakistan’s hopes. Nawaz hit another six but was dismissed off the final delivery, caught by Sanju Samson, leaving him four runs short of a century.
For India, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Dube took two wickets each. Pakistan’s Arafat Minhas was the pick of their bowlers with three wickets for 25 runs.
Brief Scores: India 211 for 6 (Abhishek Sharma 61, Tilak Varma 51; Arafat Minhas 3-25, Ahmed Daniyal 2-43) beat Pakistan 192 for 6 (Hasan Nawaz 96; Axar Patel 2-29, Washington Sundar 2-29, Shivam Dube 2-33) by 19 runs.
