Dubai: Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first against India in a high-stakes Group A clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Both sides went in unchanged from their opening wins India after routing the UAE, and Pakistan following a big win over Oman.
At the toss, India captain Suryakumar Yadav said he was comfortable bowling first under humid conditions with the prospect of evening dew:
We were looking to bowl first, happy with it… It’s humid so hoping for some dew. Same team.”
Pakistan skipper Salman Agha explained his decision:
Looks like a slow wicket. Just want to bat first and put runs on the board… Have been here for 20-odd days and are used to the conditions.”
The moment also saw the captains skip the customary handshake, underlining the charged backdrop to this marquee fixture.
Playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed.
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium — Format: T20 Asia Cup, Group A — Toss: Pakistan, bat first.
