New Delhi: Abhishek Sharma delivered a stunning diving catch to dismiss Saim Ayub, redeeming himself after dropping two catches earlier in the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 Super Four match on September 21 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Positioned at deep backward square, Abhishek sprinted in to secure a challenging chance, effectively ending Ayub’s innings after he was moved down the order to No. 3 due to his three consecutive ducks in the tournament.
Sharma had previously dropped catches off Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan on two occasions. The first was a straightforward chance in the first over bowled by Hardik Pandya, which he misjudged at deep third as Sahibzada faced a duck. He later failed to take a tougher catch running to his right from long-on after Sahibzada pulled a short delivery from Varun Chakravarthy.
Prior to the match, India captain Suryakumar Yadav chose to bowl first. “We’ll bowl first. It looks like a nice track, and there was dew yesterday. Since the first round, we’ve considered this a knockout tournament, so nothing changes. This wicket is quite different from the one in Abu Dhabi. It’s just another game. Bumrah and Varun come back for Arshdeep and Harshit,” Yadav stated at the toss.
Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha also commented on the conditions: “I would have bowled first as well. It’s a new game, a new challenge. The mood is very normal. The pitch looks to be on the slower side. We want to start well with both bat and ball.” Agha announced two changes in the lineup, with Hasan Nawaz and Khushdil Shah not playing.
Pakistan’s Playing XI: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (captain), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.
India’s Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.
