Like India, Pakistan too warm-up in style for Sunday’s mega showdown

With all due respect to the UAE and Oman, the only real battle in Group A of the Asia Cup is the one scheduled for Sunday in Dubai between India and Pakistan. The clash of the arch-rivals is the top-billed contest in the T20 event being held in the UAE.

Fittingly enough, India and Pakistan had two kind fixtures to warm up for their high-octane meeting. Yet, even in that, the eternal enemies tried to match each other stride for stride by making short work of the other Group A occupants.

Pakistan bundled out Oman for 67 to secure a 93-run win on Friday. India had skittled out the UAE for 57 runs and chased it down by nine wickets in just 4.3 overs on Wednesday.

Pakistan might have hoped to wrap up proceedings sooner as Oman went from 49/4 to 51/9, but Samay Shrivastava and Shakeel Ahmed kept poking around, and the latter even smashed a six over long off to the amusement of his dugout.

Hammad Mirza top-scored with 27 off 23 for the Omanis, while Saim Ayub, Faheem Ashraf and Sufiyan Muqeem bagged a brace apiece. Besides, every other Pakistani bowler — Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz — claimed a wicket each.

It was more or less the same case with the Indians, as barring Hardik Pandya, who bowled just the opening over, all other bowlers used by Suryakumar Yadav returned with at least a wicket; Kuldeep Yadav and Shiva Dube claimed seven between them.

In the batting department, Pakistan weren't as convincing as India. Ayub went for a golden duck, and so did the Pakistani skipper, Salman Agha. Mohammad Haris top-scored with 66 off 43, while opener Sahibzada Farhan made 29 and Fakhar Zaman scored an unbeaten 23. Pakistan made 160, but lost seven wickets, of which Shah Faisal and Aamir Kaleem bagged six. India and Pakistan have had their stretches done for Sunday's face-off.