For the first few overs on a balmy night in the UAE, Pakistan looked like a side reborn. It was the Asia Cup final, and for once their batting carried the intent and aggression of a team determined to shake India’s dominance. Sahibzada Farhan (57 off 38 balls) and Fakhar Zaman (46 off 35) began with quiet caution for two overs and then cut loose.

After restricting opponents to 146, Indian batters achieve target losing 5 wickets

Kuldeep spins magic, claims 4 wickets; Tilak Varma shines with bat, smashes 69

The onslaught forced India’s attack — near flawless all tournament — onto the defensive. For the first time in the competition the blue shirts were pushed back on their heels. Boundaries flowed, the scoreboard ticked with urgency and Pakistan’s supporters sensed that long-awaited perfe

See Full Page