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| Wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik appeals as Pakistan A batsman Mohammed Hafeez looks on during the Eurasia Series final in Abu Dhabi on Friday. (PTI) |
Abu Dhabi: India A stumbled at the post as
Pakistan A crushed them for a 36-run victory in the final
and won the Eurasia Series six-nation Limited Overs Cricket
Tournament on Friday.
Pakistan, who had lost to their arch-rivals in a league
match earlier in the tournament, seemed to have saved their
best for last as they outplayed the Indians in all departments
of the game to score a memorable win in the day-night encounter
at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Inspired by a captains knock of 106 not out by Hasan
Raza, Pakistan posted a challenging 288 for four before
dismissing the Indians for 252 with 13 balls to spare.
India, chasing the daunting target, overcame the cheap loss
of its openers through a century stand between skipper Yalaka
Venugopal Rao (69) and Reetinder Singh Sodhi (70) for the
third wicket.
But the dismissals of these two batsmen in the space of
four balls, in the 40th over, saw the wheels come apart,
with the last eight wickets falling for 63 runs.
Razas sixth List A hundred, from 112 balls with eight
fours and a six, laid the foundation for Pakistans
win.
The right-hander reached his century with a stunning six
over mid-wicket off Vikram Rajvir Singh in the last over
of the innings.
That final over saw Pakistan plunder 19 runs including two
sixes from Raza and the other not out batsman Bazid Khan.
Raza found valuable support in Misbah-ul Haq who made a
vital 73 from 94 balls with four fours and a six.
India lost Robin Uthappa (23) and Shikhar Dhawan (17) in
quick succession after a solid start of 41 runs inside the
10th over.
The stand between Rao and Sodhi kept the Indian hopes alive
but the required run-rate was always climbing up.
Leg-spinner Mansoor Amjad was expensive in terms of runs
but his four wickets broke the back of the Indian batting.
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