The India-UAE match proved to be the second low scoring match of the day, with UAE’s total seemingly in a competition with the Indian fuel prices. In reply to the paltry 102 set by the UAE team, the Indians bulldozed their way through, handing it back to the associates, winning the match by 9 wickets, with 187 balls remaining.
In reply to UAE’s 102, the Indians began the proceedings with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, who didn’t prolong the chase too much. The first 5 overs weren’t lightening fast, but there was no fall of wickets either. Shikhar Dhawan was the first Indian casualty, falling for 14, removed by Naveed, in the 7th over. Virat Kohli was the new man in and he brought up India’s 50 in the 10th over, the score reading 52/1 in 10.
Rohit Sharma began hitting the ball, in an attempt to wrap it up quickly. By the end of 15 overs, the score was 83/1, with 20 required to win. Resuming the match after dinner, with 15 runs to win, Virat Kohli (33) and Rohit Sharma (57) took the team home with 187 balls to spare.
Earlier, UAE won the toss and elected to bat first, but then regretted that decision soon, crumbling to 102/10 in 31.3 overs. At one stage, it looked like the UAE team was competing with the Indian fuel prices!
As Berenger and Amjad Ali walked in with their willows, the Indians had prepped up. Saving a four in the first over, nothing, absolutely nothing clicked for the Middle East team at all. The first casualty came in the form of Berenger, who was removed by Yadav for 4 in the 2nd over. Krishna Chandran joined the proceedings, but the 4th over saw Amjad Ali nick one off Bhuvaneshwar Kumar to Dhoni, ending his campaign at 4. Khurram Khan, the perceived danger man, walked in with the next 4 overs being very, very stagnant. At the end of 10 overs, the UAE scorecard read 28/2 at 2.80 runs per over.
The 11th over saw yet another wicket tumbling, this time, Chandran taking the long walk back, dismissed by Ashwin for 4. S Patil made his way into the middle and steadied things a bit till the 14th over. However, he lost his wicket to an Ashwin delivery, returning to the pavillion for 7, taking the score to 41/4 in 15 overs. Shaiman Anwar, the next man in lost his batting partner Khurran Khan for 14, removed by Ashwin again in the 17th over. The next wicket to fall was that of Rohan Mustafa, who was taken for 2 by Mohit Sharma, reducing the score to 54/6 in 20 overs.
Amjad Javed fell for 2, dismissed by Jadeja, Mohammad Naved departed after Ashwin deceived him for 6, skipper Tauqir was taken by Jadeja for 1 and at the end of the 25th over, UAE was languishing at 72/9 at 2.88 per over. The last wicket partnership lasted for quite a bit, frustrating the Indian bowlers marginally. Anwar and Guruge stitched a 31-run partnership, the highest for them, but then that was broken by Yadav, when he dismissed Anwar for 35. The UAE innings came to an end at 102/10 in 31.3 overs.
For the Indians, Ashwin was the star bowler, scalping 4/25 at 2.5 runs per over. Yadav and Jadeja finished with 2 a piece.
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