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Dream Start For India! Hardik Removes Ayub On Opening Delivery - WATCH
ABP Live Sports | September 14, 2025 11:11 PM CST

India could not have asked for a better start in the high-voltage Asia Cup 2025 clash against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. After sending down a wide on the opening delivery, Hardik Pandya bounced back in style, removing Pakistan opener Saim Ayub on his very first legal ball.

The left-hander tried to free his arms with a cut shot off a short-of-length delivery outside off, but his timing went awry.

Standing alert at backward point, Jasprit Bumrah made no mistake in pouching the catch. Ayub, who has struggled against India in the past, walked back without troubling the scorers, registering another duck.

With this early breakthrough, India drew first blood, giving Suryakumar Yadav’s men the perfect start to the much-anticipated contest.

Soon after this, Pakistan faced yet another setback in form of Mohammad Harris.

Jasprit Bumrah wasted no time in making an impact, striking on only the second ball of his spell. Delivering a good-length delivery with some extra bounce, he forced Mohammad Haris into an awkward shot across the line.

The ball flew off the bat, only to land safely in the hands of Hardik Pandya, who charged in from long-leg to complete a clean catch.

Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha won the toss and opted to bat first. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, on the other hand, mentioned that he was keen to bowl, making him content with the outcome of the toss.

As for team combinations, both sides have decided to stick with the same playing XI from their previous outings. The decision comes as no surprise, with India and Pakistan entering this fixture on the back of convincing wins earlier in the tournament.

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

Pakistan (Playing XI): Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris(w), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha(c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed

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