India vs Pakistan: As 'A' Teams Clash In Emerging Asia Cup Final, Another Thriller On Cards

22.07.2023 - 14:07 sports.ndtv.com

India A will be keen to assert their dominance in the Emerging Asia Cup tournament when they face Pakistan A in a potentially high-voltage summit clash in Colombo on Sunday.

Generally, it is tough to pick a favourite in the matches between India and Pakistan, but in this instance, the former stands out as the clear front-runner.

India will also draw confidence from the fact that they have already beaten Pakistan in the league stage. This crop of young Indian players carries a lot of flair in their approach, but beneath the flashiness bubbles a layer of stone-cold determination to win from any situation.

The semifinal against Bangladesh was a microcosm of that trait. India were bundled out for 211, a below-par total even on a sluggish R Premadasa Stadium pitch.

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Pakistan field hockey player Abdul Rana lauded his government's decision of sending the men's senior cricket team to India for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, saying that players from both the countries should visit each other's nations for matches between two rival teams because fans enjoy them. Currently, the Pakistan hockey team is in India to play in the Asian Champion Trophy, which is being held in Chennai. Both rival teams will square in a much-anticipated match on Wednesday.

"Didn't Ask Them To Send Little Kids": Pakistan Star On India's Emerging Asia Cup Team

The Emerging Asia Cup final between India A and Pakistan A attracted fans' attention from all over the globe. While it was the Indian team that headed into the title-decider as favourites, the Pakistani team emerged triumphant by 128 runs. Since the conclusion of the match, there's been plenty of chatter about the quality of the two sides. In fact, Pakistan A skipper Mohammad Haris even expressed his views on some of the chatter on the topic, slamming those saying India had sent their junior team to the event while Pakistani players had international experience.

Watch: Arjun Tendulkar Shines In Deodhar Trophy, Outsmarts Set Batter With Clever Delivery

Arjun Tendulkar had a decent outing with the ball for South Zone during the Deodhar Trophy match against Central Zone on Tuesday as the youngster took two wickets including the one of well-set batter Yash Dubey who was batting at 77. Arjun, who is the second of legendary Indian cricket team batter Sachin Tendulkar, took one wicket in his first match against North East Zone. However, he looked more in control on Tuesday and was able to maintain proper line and length to bother the batters. His first wicket came when Dubey mistimed his shot completely and was caught by Sai Sudharsan. It was the same duo who teamed up once again as Arjun took the wicket of Shivam Mavi to end with figures of 2 for 65 runs.

"Debacle Of 2022 T20 World Cup Repeating": Ex-India Star On Team's ODI World Cup Chances

West Indies, a team that couldn't even qualify for this year's ICC Cricket World Cup, defeated the Indian team in the second ODI rather comprehensively, sending chills down the spine of the subcontinent giants' fans. More than the result, it's the nature of experimentation head coach Rahul Dravid and the team management are doing with the team that worries fans. In fact, former India cricketer feels the 'debacle of T20 World Cup 2022' could be on the horizon for Rohit Sharma's men.

"Watched Videos Of...": Pakistan A Skipper's Masterplan That Undid India A In Final

Following his side's win in the final of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Men's Emerging Teams Asia Cup, Pakistan A skipper Mohammad Haris said that his team prepared for the final by watching videos of Indian batters, including key players Sai Sudarshan and Abhishek Sharma to prepare for the title clash. Tayyab Tahir's heroics with the bat and Sufiyan Muqeem's efforts with the ball took Paksitan A across the finish line against India A in an encounter that was one-sided for the majority of the game in the final of the ACC Men's Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 on Sunday.

Watch: Sai Sudharsan Dismissed On No-Ball? Emerging Asia Cup Final Incident Sparks Debate

Sai Sudharsan was the star performer for India A during the ACC Emerging Asia Cup group stage match against Pakistan A but the left-hander was not able to repeat his heroics on Sunday when the two sides met in the summit clash of the tournament. However, his dismissal led to a massive controversy that has engulfed fans on social media. Sudharsan miscued a pull shot off the bowling of Arshad Iqbal and was caught by Mohammad Haris. However, the replays showed that the Pakistan bowler's front leg was dangerously close to the popping crease and a number of social media users thought that it was a no-ball. However, the decision went against the India A batter.