A tale of two starts that decided everything in Dubai
It is often said that cricket matches in the shortest format are decided in bursts, rather than in broad arcs. On a hot Dubai evening, the Asia Cup 2025 encounter between India and PAK provided clear evidence: the outcome was decided within the first ten overs of both innings.
India's eventual seven-wicket victory was not just about stronger batting depth or a precise bowling attack. It was about how one side managed to survive and flourish in the first third of the game, while the other descended into chaos.
When Hardik Pandya enticed Saim Ayub into edging the first legitimate delivery of the match, PAK was already at a disadvantage. By the end of the powerplay, the scoreboard showed 42 for 2, but beneath the surface, the damage was more severe: 25 dot balls in the first 6 overs, 2 wickets fallen, and batters pushed into desperate strokes.
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The damage worsened over the next 4 overs. Fakhar Zaman’s 17 was ended by Axar Patel. Captain Salman Agha scored 3 from 12 before falling. At the ten-over mark, PAK was a fragile 49 for 4, having faced 37 dot balls. Only 3 boundaries and 2 sixes had broken India’s grip.
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From that position, a competitive total seemed unlikely. A late flourish from Shaheen Afridi (33* off 16) provided some superficial respectability, but 127 for 9 was a total built more on grit than conviction.
Contrast this with India’s response. Abhishek Sharma walked out like a man on a mission, scoring 31 off 13 and dismantling Shaheen Afridi with a 4 and six off consecutive deliveries. Shubman Gill, though dismissed for 10, still hit 2 clean boundaries to underline India’s intent.
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By the time the tenth over ended, the scoreboard had already grown to 88 for 2. The figures told a story of dominance: 24 dot balls, but 10 boundaries and 3 sixes illuminating the evening. Even with Abhishek and Gill back in the pavilion, PAK faced an equation too lopsided to recover from.
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Tilak Varma’s composed 31 and Suryakumar Yadav’s authoritative unbeaten 47 ensured there was no twist in the tale. India reached the target at 131 for 3 in just 15.5 overs, with a run rate far surpassing PAK’s laboured 6.35.
The first phase established the tone and tempo:
Run rate: India scored at 8.8 runs per over, while PAK managed only 4.9.
Boundary count: India hit 13 boundaries during this phase, whereas PAK managed just 5.
Pressure index: PAK lost 4 wickets within the first 10 overs; India lost only 2, both after scoring freely.
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In T20 cricket, this gap proves decisive. PAKs early collapse meant their middle order faced Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel under pressure and, as expected, folded. India’s top order, by contrast, allowed Suryakumar and Dube the luxury of finishing the game without anxiety.
The win extended India’s head-to-head dominance over PAK in T20Is to 11-3, and in Asia Cup contests specifically to 11-6 across formats. More tellingly, it reinforced a truth that PAK has struggled to address: in big-ticket matches, India seizes the initiative early and seldom let go.
