India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in their Asia Cup 2022 opener at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. 

Hardik Pandya produced a special all-round effort as India held nerves to pull off an exciting win over arch-rivals Pakistan. The all-rounder (3/25 in 4 overs) showed his high value under extreme pressure as his well-directed short balls helped India bowl out Pakistan for 147. 

He (33 not out off 17) and Ravindra Jadeja (35 off 29) then shared a 52-run stand to take India on the cusp of of a famous win. The star all-rounder’s three fours off Haris Rauf off the 19th over effectively sealed the game for India.

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Here are the key takeaways from the India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2022 tie: 

1) Indian pacers shine: For the first time in T20Is, India’s fast bowlers have managed to take all 10 wickets in an innings. 

While Bhuvneshwar Kumar led the charge by registering four scalps, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, and Avesh Khan picked up three, two, and one wickets respectively. The Men in Blue employed a short ball strategy to dismiss Pakistan, who could only manage 147 runs.

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2) Hardik Pandya’s brilliant touch continues: Hardik Pandya was unbeaten at 33 runs off 17 balls. He guided India’s chase after the team was 89/4 in the 15th over. With the ball, the 28-year-old picked three crucial wickets in the first innings. He finished with figures of 3/25. 

3) Indian top-order fails in another crucial game: KL Rahul was dismissed for a golden duck. The opener deflected a Naseem Shah delivery on to the stumps. Skipper Rohit Sharma, who struggled for the most of his 18-ball stay at the crease, was dismissed trying to slog left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz. He made 12 runs. Virat Kohli kept hitting regular boundaries after being dropped early in his innings. The former captain was dismissed playing an inside out shot. He scored 35 runs in 34 balls. 

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India were 53/3 when Ravindra Jadeja walked in to bat. He and Suryakumar Yadav tried to settle down in the middle before the latter was bowled by Naseem Shah. 

Also read: Watch: Ravindra Jadeja’s 98m six off Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz

4) Naseem Shah’s impressive debut: On his T20I debut for Pakistan, the 19-year-old pacer returned with impressive figures of 2/27. He picked the key wickets of KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav. 

Shah tormented the Indian top-order with some tight line and length and the ball moving.