DUBAI: Pakistan hopes to have learned its lesson from a heavy group-stage loss to India when the two rivals meet again in the Asia Cup on Sunday, this time at the Super Four stage.
After the group defeat, Pakistan narrowly avoided humiliation when Sarfraz Ahmed's team beat Afghanistan in its opening Super Four match with just three balls to spare in Abu Dhabi. Also Friday, in Dubai, India easily beat Bangladesh by seven wickets.
India thrashed Pakistan by eight wickets with 21 overs to spare in their last encounter and will take confidence from that win into Sunday's game at Dubai International Stadium. The same stadium hosts the final on Friday.
Pakistan still appears annoyed by India playing only in Dubai, while other teams face a nearly 90-minute bus journey for some matches in Abu Dhabi. Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has also criticized this arrangement.
Ahmed said earlier in the tournament: "I believe things should be even for all teams, whether that's India, Pakistan or anyone else. If matches are played in Abu Dhabi, then all teams must play a game or two there."
Defending champion India, despite losing Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur to injury during the tournament, has looked the strongest team so far. India is expected to field the same lineup that defeated Bangladesh.
Pakistan dropped struggling fast bowler Mohammed Amir against Afghanistan, but he may be recalled after the team's unconvincing bowling display. Left-arm medium-pacer Shaheen Afridi took two wickets against Afghanistan, but the newcomer might not be risked against the experienced Indian batting lineup.
India's bowling unit has played well in the conditions apart from conceding an opening 174-run stand against Hong Kong.
India captain Rohit Sharma, who has scored 52 and an unbeaten 83 in the last two matches, expressed satisfaction with his bowling attack.
"The bowlers have done a very good job and stuck to their plans. Spinners (Yuzvendra) Chahal and Kuldeep (Yadav) did not get any wickets (against Bangladesh), but they are allowed a day off and (Ravindra) Jadeja stepped up with four wickets," Sharma said.
"It is a big match for us again and we just hope to recover well and continue to repeat the same performance against Pakistan."
On Wednesday, Pakistan once again travels to Abu Dhabi for its last Super Four match against Bangladesh, a day after India plays Afghanistan in Dubai.
Pakistan and India meet once again at Asia Cup
Pakistan and India meet once again at Asia Cup
- India thrashed Pakistan by eight wickets with 21 overs to spare in their last encounter
- Pakistan dropped struggling fast bowler Mohammed Amir against Afghanistan
Sabalenka powers past Osaka into Indian Wells quarter-finals
- Sabalenka wrapped up the first set with two breaks of serve before Osaka began to find her rhythm
INDIAN WELLS, United States: World number one Aryna Sabalenka powered into the Indian Wells quarter-finals on Tuesday, beating former champion Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-4 in a battle of Grand Slam winners.
It was another straightforward, straight-sets victory for Sabalenka, who fired 31 winners with eight aces.
“Overall I’m happy that I put so much pressure on her, that I brought variety today on the court,” said Sabalenka, who mixed her booming groundstrokes with effective forays to the net.
“I think she was a little confused in the key moments, and I’m happy to see that,” Sabalenka said. “I’m happy that my serve worked well, on the return I played really great tennis.”
Sabalenka wrapped up the first set with two breaks of serve before Osaka began to find her rhythm.
But the Japanese star was unable to crack the serve of Sabalenka, who saved both break points she faced in the second set and grabbed a break for 4-3 with a pair of forehand winners.
It was just the second meeting between the two, both four-time Grand Slam champions.
Osaka won the first back in 2018 on the way to her first major title at the US Open.
“That’s actually crazy,” Sabalenka said of the fact they haven’t met more often. But she predicted there were more clashes in their future as Osaka, now ranked 16th, regains her momentum on the WTA Tour after taking off all of 2023 and having daughter, Shai, in July of that year.
Sabalenka, runner-up at Indian Wells in 2023 and 2025, will continue her pursuit of a first title in the prestigious ATP and WTA Masters 1000 event against either sixth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova or 10th-seeded Canadian teen Victoria Mboko.
Australian qualifier Talia Gibson’s dream run in the California desert continued with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 victory over seventh-ranked Italian Jasmine Paolini.
The 21-year-old’s first victory over a top-10 player propelled her into her first WTA quarter-final, where she’ll face either Czech Linda Noskova or Alexandra Eala of the Philippines.
Gibson, ranked 112th, used a late break to pocket the first set, closing it out with her 18th winner of the opening frame.
Paolini sped to a 3-0 lead in the second as Gibson’s errors mounted and it looked as if the experienced Italian, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, had seized control.
But Gibson unleashed a barrage of winners in the third, including a stinging forehand service return on match point.
“Honestly, just completely speechless,” said Gibson, who beat top-20 players Ekaterina Alexandrova and Clara Tauson on the way to the fourth round.
