Key Points

India won the toss and elected to bowl first against Pakistan in their crucial Asia Cup Super Fours encounter. Captain Suryakumar Yadav brought back Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy to strengthen the bowling attack. The match is being played under tense circumstances as both captains avoided the traditional handshake at the toss. Pakistan also made two changes to their lineup with Faheem Ashraf and Hussain Talat coming into the playing eleven.

Key Points: India Bowl First Against Pakistan in Asia Cup Super Fours Clash

  • India wins toss and chooses to bowl first against Pakistan
  • Bumrah and Chakaravarthy return replacing Arshdeep and Rana
  • Pakistan makes two changes with Ashraf and Talat coming in
  • Both captains skip handshake amid ongoing tensions between teams
2 min read

Asia Cup: Bumrah and Varun return as India elect to bowl first against Pakistan

Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy return as India elect to bowl first against Pakistan in a high-stakes Asia Cup match amid ongoing tensions.

Asia Cup: Bumrah and Varun return as India elect to bowl first against Pakistan
"Looks like a nice track, and yesterday there was dew. Since the first round, we were thinking we're playing a knockout tournament; nothing has changed. - Suryakumar Yadav"

Dubai, Sep 21

Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy are back for India as captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bowl first against Pakistan in a high-stakes Asia Cup Super Fours game at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Sunday.

The two teams had last met in a Group A game at the same venue last week, where India emerged victorious by seven wickets. However, the aftermath drew headlines as no one from the Indian team shook hands with their Pakistani counterparts, a gesture that sparked discontent within the latter, and they almost pulled out of the eight-team competition.

After winning the toss, Suryakumar said Bumrah and Chakaravarthy come into the playing eleven in place of Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. It also means Axar Patel is fit to play in Sunday’s game after suffering a head injury while fielding in their final Group A game against Oman in Abu Dhabi.

“Looks like a nice track, and yesterday there was dew. Since the first round, we were thinking we're playing a knockout tournament; nothing has changed. That was a completely different wicket (in Abu Dhabi). Quite normal, just another game,” he said.

Pakistan captain Salman Agha said Faheem Asharf and Hussain Talat replace Hasan Nawaz and Khushdil Shah in the playing eleven. “Would've bowled first as well. It's a new game, a new challenge. The mood is very normal. Pitch looks to be on the slower side. Want to start well with both bat and ball,” he said.

Just like in last week’s game, both Suryakumar and Salman didn’t shake hands at toss time, while Andy Pycroft will remain the match referee for the clash in Dubai.

Playing XIs:

India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakaravarthy

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Abrar Ahmed

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Bowling first is the right decision considering the dew factor in Dubai. Our spinners will enjoy these conditions. Let's go India! 🏏
A
Arjun K
The handshake controversy is unnecessary. Players should focus on cricket, not these formalities. Both teams are here to play good cricket, let's keep it that way.
S
Sarah B
Excited to see Varun Chakaravarthy back in action! His mystery spin could be the game-changer against Pakistan's batting lineup.
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Vikram M
Good to know Axar Patel is fit to play after that head injury. His all-round abilities are crucial for the team balance. Hope he has a good game today!
Karthik V
Pakistan has made some interesting changes too. Their bowling attack with Shaheen and Haris Rauf is always dangerous. Our batsmen need to be careful in the powerplay.
M
Michael C
While I understand the competitive spirit, basic sportsmanship like handshakes shouldn't be ignored. Cricket is supposed to bring people together, not create more divisions.

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