Pakistan opt to bat first against India in Asia Cup showdown | The Express Tribune

Pakistan are in early trouble in their high-octane Asia Cup 2025 showdown against India, having lost four wickets within the first 10 overs after opting to bat first at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

The Green Shirts’ innings got off to a disastrous start when opener Saim Ayub was dismissed on the very first ball of the match. Attempting a square drive, Ayub only managed to offer a straightforward catch to point off Jasprit Bumrah — his second consecutive golden duck in the tournament.

The early breakthrough set the tone for India’s bowlers, and the pressure quickly mounted on Pakistan. Haris, who was named Player of the Match in Pakistan’s previous outing against Oman for his match-winning half-century, failed to replicate his form. In an effort to take on Bumrah, he mistimed a pull shot and was caught at deep backward square, departing after scoring just 3 runs. Pakistan slumped to 6 for 2.

With the top order in disarray, Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman attempted to steady the innings. The pair added 39 crucial runs for the third wicket, briefly halting India’s momentum. However, just as the partnership looked promising, Zaman fell to left-arm spinner Axar Patel — his ambitious stroke falling short as he was caught inside the circle.

Captain Agha Salman walked in under mounting pressure and was nearly trapped LBW on his first ball. Though he survived that scare, his innings didn’t last much longer. Struggling to rotate the strike amid a string of dot balls, he was eventually dismissed, leaving Pakistan four down with only 49 runs on the board at the end of the 10th over.

Earlier, both teams have opted to retain their winning combinations from their previous matches, entering the encounter with momentum on their side. Defending champions India cruised to a nine-wicket victory over the UAE, while Pakistan registered a commanding 93-run win against Oman.

This marks the first meeting between the two cricketing powerhouses since February and their first Asia Cup face-off since the 2023 edition, where India outclassed Pakistan by a massive 228-run margin.

However, the stakes go far beyond the cricketing rivalry this time. This is the first encounter between the two nations since their tense standoff in May, which brought the nuclear-armed neighbours to the brink of conflict. With tensions still simmering, the Dubai Police have announced stringent security protocols and strict entry regulations for the match.

The event’s security committee has urged fans to cooperate fully with authorities, respect local cultural norms, and adhere to the guidelines in place. “Violations may lead to severe penalties,” a statement from the committee read.

The stadium is expected to be packed to capacity as fans from both nations turn out in large numbers for one of cricket’s most emotionally charged rivalries.

Pakistan Playing XI: Salman Ali Agha (C), Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Sufyan Moqim.

India Playing XI: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah