Games-Abhishek and Varma shine as India beat Pakistan to complete cricket double
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NAGOYA, Japan, Oct 3 : India extended their dominance over arch-rivals Pakistan with a 19-run win in the men’s final on Saturday, completing an Asian Games cricket double in Nisshin on the outskirts of Nagoya.
The Twenty20 world champions piled up 211-6, the highest total of the men’s competition, thanks to blistering half-centuries from opener Abhishek Sharma (61) and Tilak Varma, who smashed 51 not out off 22 balls.
Hasan Nawaz’s defiant 96 kept Pakistan in the hunt, but they finished on 192-6.
“A huge occasion when you are playing Pakistan in the final, the whole country is watching and you have that pressure,” India captain Shreyas Iyer told reporters.
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“I told my teammates ‘let’s not get overwhelmed by the occasion. We need to stick to what we have been doing’.
“Even though we did not get much opportunity to practise (due to weather), today was the right opportunity for us to show our character.”
Abhishek took charge after Iyer chose to bat at the Korogi Sports Park.
Pakistan opened with spin from both ends, but Saad Masood was pulled from the attack after his first over cost 24.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who had hit Masood for two sixes, botched a reverse sweep and fell to Saim Ayub, who sent the 15-year-old off with a rocking-baby celebration.
Sanju Samson soon followed, but Abhishek, the world’s second-ranked T20 batter, raced to a 20-ball fifty.
It was far from a chanceless innings, though. He survived a run-out opportunity and twice hit shots that landed just short of Ayub.
He struck seven sixes and three fours in his 28-ball knock before Arafat Minhas had him stumped.
The sixes dried up, but India were still well placed at 114-3 at the halfway mark.
Minhas bowled Ishan Kishan, but Varma, who reached his fifty in 21 balls, powered India past 200.
Chasing 212, Pakistan needed a fast start but limped to 76-3 at the halfway stage.
India’s spinners did the early damage, with Axar Patel removing Usman Khan and Maaz Sadaqat (23) after Washington Sundar made the breakthrough.
Nawaz kept Pakistan’s hopes alive but got little support and fell to the last ball of the match.
Pakistan coach Mike Hesson took heart from how his young bowlers fared against India’s formidable batting lineup.
“We decided to bring some young bowlers and give them some experience and opportunity,” Hesson said.
“They will learn a heck of a lot from this. I’m really pleased the way they performed with the ball. We could have been chasing 240 easily.”
Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 63 runs to take bronze.
India’s women won gold on September 22, thrashing Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final.
Source: Reuters
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