Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two pillars of the Indian batting line-up, were dismissed within three runs as the team was reduced to 53/3 after 9.1 overs vs Pakistan. The two teams play their Asia Cup 2022 opener at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. 

Chasing 148 runs, India then lost Suryakumar Yadav for 18 runs. India were 103/4 in the 16th over and needed 45 runs in 25 balls. 

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After opener KL Rahul was dismissed for a golden duck, Sharma and Kohli stitched a 49-run stand before the former was dismissed. The skipper, on the last ball of the eighth over, tried slogging a slow, full ball for a maximum. He came charging down the track but only managed to slice the delivery. Iftikhar Ahmed took a catch at long-off. 

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Rohit Sharma scored 12 runs off 18 balls. 

On the first ball of Mohammad Nawaz’s next over, Kohli stepped out and tried to play the inside out shot off the left-arm spinner. However, poor execution saw the ball land in Ahmed’s hands at long-off. The former India captain made 35 runs in 34 balls. 

Watch Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s dismissals:

In the first innings, Hardik Pandya showed his high value under extreme pressure as his well-directed short balls helped India limit Pakistan to 147 all out. Rohit Sharma decided to chase after winning the toss and the bowlers. 

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Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4/26) was at his skilful best and his four wicket haul included the prized scalp of Babar Azam (10). However, Hardik’s envious figures of 3 for 25 in four overs, during the middle phase, triggered a Pakistani batting collapse. Young seamer Arshdeep Singh also returned decent figures of 2 fo 33 in his first ever appearance in an Indo-Pak clash as all 10 wickets were snapped by speed merchants, a first for India in shortest version.