NEW DELHI: Tayyab Tahir's exceptional century propelled Pakistan A to a resounding 128-run victory over India A in the final of the Emerging Teams Asia Cup on Sunday. With this triumph, Pakistan A secured their second consecutive title in the tournament.
After being put into bat by India A, Pakistan A's batsmen put on a dominant show, amassing a mammoth total of 352 for eight in their allotted 50 overs. The star of the show was Tahir, who blazed his way to a scintillating 108 off just 71 deliveries, including 12 boundaries and 4 sixes. His remarkable innings set the tone for Pakistan A's commanding victory.
As it happened: Emerging Asia Cup Final
Pakistan A got off to a flying start with their openers, Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan, wreaking havoc on the Indian bowlers. The duo stitched together an explosive partnership of 121 runs in a mere 17.2 overs, taking full advantage of the fresh pitch and hard ball.
However, India A managed to strike back with quick wickets, and at one point, Pakistan A found themselves struggling at 187 for 5. Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar, who had been instrumental for India A throughout the tournament, picked up a crucial wicket to provide some respite for his team.
1/10:India A lose Emerging Teams Asia Cup final against Pakistan A
PTI
2/10:Tayyab Tahir
<p>Tayyab Tahir's hundred garnished Pakistan A's march to a commanding 128-run win over India A, for a second consecutive Emerging Teams Asia Cup title in Colombo on Sunday. </p>PTI
3/10:Pakistan 352/8
<p>Once Pakistan posted a mammoth 352/8 courtesy Tahir's 108 off 71 balls (12x4s, 4x6s), the result was in no real doubt. </p>PTI
4/10:India 224 all out
<p>India made a fist of it, but ended up at 224 all out in 40 overs to suffer their first defeat in this tournament. </p>ANI
5/10:Puzzling decision
<p>India asked Pakistan to bat first — a decision which was a tad puzzling because the chasing team had lost eight matches in the tournament. </p>ANI
6/10:Pakistan A
<p>Pakistan A fielded as many as eight players with international experience against India A, who fielded a purely U-23 side with no experience of top-flight cricket. </p>PTI
7/10:Pakistan roaring start
<p>Pakistan went off the blocks like a supercharged car, scoring over six runs and the run-rate subsequently crossed the seven-runs per-over mark. </p>ANI
8/10:Saim Ayub
<p>Openers Saim Ayub (59 off 51 balls) and Sahibzada Farhan (65 off 62 balls) added 121 runs in just 17.2 overs, fully utilising a fresh surface and hard ball. </p>PTI
9/10:India run chase
<p>India did not seem perturbed by the massiveness of the target as B Sai Sudarshan and Abhishek Sharma amassed 64 runs for the opening wicket in 8.3 overs. </p>ANI
10/10:Sudarshan falls
<p>Pacer Arshad Iqbal broke the alliance, inducing an edge from Sudarshan for Mohammad Haris to complete an easy catch behind the stumps. </p>PTIBut just as India A seemed to gain momentum, Tahir emerged as the saviour for Pakistan A. Displaying exceptional timing and power, Tahir continued to find the boundaries and effectively neutralised India's spin troika of Suthar, Nishant Sindhu, and Abhishek Sharma.
Tahir found an able partner in Mubasir Khan, and together, they orchestrated a sensational sixth-wicket partnership of 126 runs in a mere 16 overs, propelling Pakistan A past the 300-run mark. Tahir's century and Mubasir's support helped Pakistan A set a daunting target for India A.
In response, India A began their chase on a positive note, with openers B Sai Sudarshan and Abhishek building a solid foundation with a 64-run opening stand in just 8.3 overs. However, once the partnership was broken, the Indian batters struggled to keep up with the mounting required run rate.
Pacer Arshad Iqbal provided the crucial breakthrough, and thereafter, leg-spinner Sufiyan Muqeem wreaked havoc on the Indian batting lineup, claiming three important wickets.
Despite Abhishek Sharma's valiant fifty, India A ultimately succumbed to the pressure and were bowled out for 224 in 40 overs. This loss marked India A's first defeat in the tournament.
