DHAKA: Shahid Afridi smashed two consecutive sixes off Ravichandran Ashwin as Pakistan defeated arch rivals India by one wicket in Dhaka on Sunday, virtually knocking the World Cup champions out of the Asia Cup.
Pakistan, chasing India’s 245-8, needed nine runs off the last four balls after losing their way from a seemingly winning position to slump from 200-4 to 236-9 at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.
But the seasoned Afridi sealed his side’s win with two mighty hits off the next two deliveries to keep Pakistan afloat in the five-nation tournament with their second win in three matches.
India, who suffered their second defeat in three games, are unlikely to make the final on March 8 even if they beat Afghanistan in their last match on Wednesday.
Afridi returned unbeaten on a quick-fire 34 off 18 balls, studded with three sixes and two boundaries, but the victory was set up by all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez.
Hafeez picked up two wickets and then top-scored with 75, adding 87 runs for the fifth wicket with Sohaib Maqsood (38) after Pakistan were reduced to 113-4 in the 23rd over.
But both batsmen fell in successive overs — Hafeez caught in the deep off Ashwin and Maqsood was run out — to leave Pakistan on 203-6.
India grabbed three more wickets to make it 236-9 before Afridi’s blitz in the company of last man Junaid Khan carried the jubilant Pakistanis home.
Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra marked his first match in the tournament with two for 28 from 10 steady overs on the slow pitch.
Pakistan had unsettled India’s batsmen with pace and spin after electing to field, with Saeed Ajmal claiming 3-40 and debutant fast bowler Mohammad Talha and Hafeez two each.
Opener Rohit Sharma (56) and Ambati Rayudu (58) were the main contributors for India at the top of the order, before Ravindra Jadeja hit an unbeaten 52 off 49 balls toward the end.
Left-hander Jadeja, who walked in to bat in his 100th one-dayer with his team on a shaky 155-5, smashed four boundaries and two sixes to boost the total.
Rayudu put on 52 for the fifth wicket with Dinesh Karthik and 59 for the sixth with Jadeja before he holed out in the deep in the 47th over.
Afghanistan, who stunned Bangladesh in their last match, takes on table-toppers Sri Lanka in Dhaka on Monday.
SCOREBOARD
India innings:
R. Sharma c Hafeez b Talha 56
S. Dhawan lbw b Hafeez 10
V. Kohli c Akmal b Gul 5
A. Rahane c Hafeez b Talha 23
A. Rayudu c sub (Ali) b Ajmal 58
D. Karthik c Ajmal b Hafeez 23
R. Jadeja not out 52
R. Ashwin st Akmal b Ajmal 9
M. Shami c Maqsood b Ajmal 0
A. Mishra not out 1
Extras: 8
Total: (for 8 wkts, 50 overs) 245
Fall of wkts: 1-18, 2-56, 3-92, 4-103, 5-155, 6-214, 7-237, 8-237.
Bowling: Hafeez 9-0-38-2, Gul 9-0-60-1 (w2), Junaid 7-0-44-0 (w1), Afridi 8-0-38-0, Talha 7-1-22-2 (w2), Ajmal 10-0-40-3.
Pakistan innings:
S. Khan b Ashwin 25
A. Shehzad c Ashwin b Mishra 42
M. Hafeez c Kumar b Ashwin 75
Misbah-ul-Haq run out 1
U. Akmal c Jadeja b Mishra 4
S. Maqsood run out 38
S. Afridi not out 34
U. Gul c Rahane b Kumar 12
M. Talha c Jadeja b Kumar 0
S. Ajmal b Ashwin 0
J. Khan not out 1
Extras: 17
Total: (for 9 wkts, 49.4 overs) 249
Fall of wkts: 1-71, 2-93, 3-96, 4-113, 5-200, 6-203, 7-235, 8-236, 9-236.
Bowling: Kumar 10-0-56-2 (w3), Shami 10-0-49-0, Ashwin 9.4-0-44-3 (w1), Jadeja 10-1-61-0, Mishra 10-0-28-2 (w2).
