>India accomplished an all-win record, outshining United Arab Emirates by nine wickets with 9.5 overs to spare in its concluding round-robin league outing of the Asia Cup T20 here at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
India scored the required runs in just 10.1 overs after UAE, deciding to bat, capitulated, scoring 81 for nine in the allotted 20 overs.
With its berth in the final already secured, India made the promised changes, bringing in left-arm spinner Pawan Negi, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar for regulars R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Ashish Nehra.
>Having spluttered previously this tournament, the Indian opening partnership of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan came good, putting up a decent stand of 43. Rohit clobbered the modest bowling attack for seven boundaries and a six to reach his 39 (28 balls) before falling to the medium pace of Qadeer Ahmed. Dhawan, who had some good batting practice, had little to do as Yuvraj Singh arrived to hasten India’s victory with some lusty hitting.
>Picking up from where he had left off against Sri Lanka, Yuvraj was at his belligerent best again as he hit four boundaries and a six to remain unbeaten on 25 (in 14 balls), keeping his strike-rate well over 150 for the second time in succession.
Dhawan remained unbeaten on 16, which he collected from 20 balls.
Earlier, UAE struggled against a decent Indian bowling attack. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was methodical in his bowling and picked up two wickets for a miserly eight runs in his quota of four overs while his new-ball partner Jasprit Bumrah scalped one for 23.
Making his debut, Pawan Negi picked up one, as did Harbhajan Singh, Hardik Pandya and Yuvraj Singh. Two run-outs completed the tally of wickets as an inexperienced opposition failed to show the requisite gumption to put up a fight.
Seeking some serious practice ahead of the final against Bangladesh, the Indians meant business right from the start as Bhuvneshwar started with a maiden before getting opener Swapnil Patil for one in his second over.
>Bumrah, who operated from the other end, went through the defence of Mohammed Shahzad and got him for a duck. At two for two, there was little that UAE could hope for in the rest of the innings.
The other opener Rohan Mustafa (11) put up some resistance, figuring in a 23-run partnership for the third wicket with Shaiman Anwar.
After Mustafa was caught by Virat Kohli in the covers off Pandya in the ninth over, Shaiman had a 26-run partnership with Muhammad Usman (9) for the fourth wicket that pushed the UAE score to 51 for four.
Playing his first match of the tournament, Harbhajan had a decent outing with figures of 4-1-11-1 including 16 dot balls — second only to Bhuvneshwar’s 20 dot balls.
Negi, who had made news becoming the most expensive Indian buy in this season’s IPL, took his first international wicket, getting Usman caught by Harbhajan at long-off.
Negi then caught UAE skipper Amjad Javed (0) off Harbhajan’s bowling to return the compliment. Wickets fell at regular intervals thereafter as Anwar remained the only UAE batsman to show some spine, scoring 43 (48b, 3x4, 1x6).
