India thrashed the United Arab Emirates by nine wickets after chasing down a meager 58-run total in just 4.3 overs in their Asia Cup opener in Dubai on Wednesday.
In a wildly lopsided encounter, India reached 60 for 1 in 4.3 overs thanks to 30 off 16 balls from Abhishek Sharma, his opening partner Shubman Gill, and captain Suryakumar Yadav, who stayed not out at 20 and 7, respectively.
Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav (4/7) and Shivam Dube (3/4) wreaked havoc with the ball as India bowled the UAE out for a meagre total of 57.
Kuldeep Yadav, who endured a frustrating stint in the UK warming the bench for five consecutive Tests, proved far too skillful for the UAE batters to handle. The left-arm wrist-spinner returned sensational figures of 4/7 in just 2.1 overs. Jasprit Bumrah (1/19 in 3 overs) triggered the collapse with a trademark yorker that uprooted Kerala-born Alishan Sharafu (22 off 17), who until then had fought valiantly with three fours and a six.
UAE’s bright beginning became a dismal tale as batters rushed back to the dugout after Bumrah hit a perfect one at the base of Sharafu’s boots. The UAE had no idea how to counter the trio of spinners, Kuldeep, Varun Chakravarthy (1/4 in 2 overs), and Axar Patel (1/13 in 3 overs), who are bowlers that associate nation players don’t frequently play against.
With career-best numbers, Shivam Dube (3/4 in 2 overs), whose bowling will be crucial going into the T20 World Cup, polished off the tail in style. While left-handed Harshit Kaushik was clueless about how to play a Chinaman’s googly that comes into the southpaw, Rahul Chopra sought to bat out of trouble against Kuldeep and was holed out at long-on.
Muhammad Waseem, the captain, struggled to get going and the ball bounced a little bit too much when he attempted to sweep Kuldeep (19 off 22 balls). The UAE batters were unable to score off of 52 deliveries, and the Indian bowlers delivered 81 balls in total—13.1 overs and two wides.
The unit implemented Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav’s bowling plans flawlessly, and the Dubai track is aiding the spinners. The three are anticipated to cause problems for other teams as well.
