A Dubai evening that redefined India's dominance over their fiercest rivals
As the Asia Cup 2025 approaches in the UAE, with India and PAK once again pitted against each other, memories surface of one of the most lopsided yet memorable encounters between the two. It was September 23, 2018, at Dubai International Stadium, when Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan transformed a tense chase into a display of skill, dismantling PAK with a record-breaking partnership.
This wasn’t just another victory. It was India's most dominant win over PAK in terms of wickets lost - a nine-wicket victory achieved with more than 10 overs remaining.
Batting first, PAK posted 237 for 7 in 50 overs. Veteran Shoaib Malik, India's long-time nemesis, anchored the innings with 78 off 90 balls, forming a 107-run partnership with skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, who added 44. At one stage, PAK were 58 for 3 after Babar Azam's run-out, but Malik and Sarfraz steadied the innings.
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India's bowlers, however, were relentless. Jasprit Bumrah bowled 39 dot balls in his 10 overs, finishing with 2 for 29, while Yuzvendra Chahal (2/46) and Kuldeep Yadav (2 /41) applied the squeeze. PAK managed only 38 runs in the final seven overs, leaving their total looking underwhelming in Dubai’s batting-friendly conditions.
If PAK’s innings was a tale of missed acceleration, India’s reply was a masterclass in controlled aggression. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan put on 210 runs for the opening wicket, India’s highest partnership against PAK in the history of the Asia Cup.
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Dhawan, in particular, was unstoppable. He raced to a half-century in just 56 balls and went on to score his 15th ODI century — 114 off 100 balls, decorated with 16 fours and 2 sixes. His dominance against pace and spin alike left PAK’s attack without ideas. Mohammed Amir, once India’s tormentor, ended wicketless, conceding 41 runs in five overs.
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Rohit, initially the calmer partner, shifted gears after his fifty. He hit two sixes off Shadab Khan and reached his century — his 19th in ODIs — with a quick double. His unbeaten 111 off 119 balls included 7 fours and 4 sixes, and also took him past 7,000 career ODI runs.
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India’s chase of 238 was completed in just 39.3 overs, highlighting the one-sided nature of the contest.
The 210-run partnership between Rohit and Dhawan remains one of the largest opening stands in Asia Cup history.
For Dhawan, this was his second century of the tournament after his 127 against Hong Kong. His Asia Cup 2018 total — 342 runs at 68.40 — earned him the Player of the Tournament award.
Rohit, too, was in commanding form throughout, scoring 317 runs at 105.66 across five innings.
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The significance of the win lay not just in the numbers but in the message. India didn’t just beat PAK — they dismantled them with ruthless efficiency, leaving no doubt about their superiority. It was a performance that highlighted the harmony of Rohit and Dhawan at their best: one a patient accumulator, the other a boundary-hitting aggressor, seamlessly switching roles when the game demanded.
By the time Dhawan was run out for 114, India needed just 28 more runs. Rohit finished the job in style, carrying his bat and securing a nine-wicket victory.
