On Tuesday, A complacent India survived a mighty scare before recording an unimpressive 26-run win over minnows Hong Kong in their opening group league match of the Asia Cup in Dubai. Nizakat and Rath’s 174-run stand is the associate nation’s highest partnership in ODI cricket.
In pursuit of a stiff 286-run target, unheralded Hong Kong opening pair of Nizakat Khan (92) and skipper Anshuman Rath (73) added a record 174-run partnership to raise the visions of a major upset before inexperience cost them dear as they managed 259 for eight.
Back-to-back games for India is hard to understand: #SunilGavaskar 🏏
India will meet Hong Kong in Dubai on Tuesday to tune up for the big match against Pakistan on Wednesday
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— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) September 18, 2018
This was after Shikhar Dhawan found his mojo in familiar flat tracks with lack of movement, helping himself to his 14th ODI century.
Dhawan, who had a horrendous tour of England, cashed in on the chance against a weaker opposition on a low and slow continental pitch, smashing 127 off 120 balls as India scored 285 for seven after being asked to bat.
Dhawan himself wasted a golden opportunity to score a big hundred, holing out to Tanwir Afzal off off-spinner Kinchit Shah’s (3/39) bowling in the 41st over.
Talismanic Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s stay at the crease was limited to three deliveries as he failed to gauge the slowness of the pitch and edged one to McKechnie off off-spinner Ehsan Khan (2/65) in the next over.
Dhawan hit as many as 15 boundaries and two sixes en route his century but India witnessed a mini batting collapse and failed to cross the 300-run mark against the unfancied bowling attack of Hong Kong. Later, the Indian bowlers and fielders looked rusty till Nizakat and Rath were at the crease as the duo played with consummate ease to frustrate Rohit Sharma’s men for close to 35 overs.
But it was a known fact that India just needed one wicket to tilt the match in their favor as Hong Kong doesn’t have the big stage experience and the breakthrough eventually came in the 35th over.
As if that was not enough, Karthik too gave away his wicket while trying to go for a big shot on a slow wicket, caught at deep mid-wicket to Babar Hayat off Shah.
Towards the end, Kedar Jadhav made a 27-ball 28 but he too found shot-making difficult because of the slow nature of the pitch.
In fact, Hong Kong bowled brilliantly in the last 10 overs as India scored just 48 runs losing five wickets.
Image Credit- Hindustan Times
