No handshakes yet again as India beats Pakistan to clinch cricket gold at Asian Games
Defending champion India continued its T20 dominance over archrival Pakistan with a 19-run victory to win the gold medal at the Asian Games men’s cricket event with players again avoiding customary handshakes
NAGOYA, Japan -- Defending champion India continued its T20 dominance over archrival Pakistan with a 19-run victory to win the gold medal at the Asian Games men’s cricket event with players again avoiding customary handshakes Saturday.
Half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma (61) and Tilak Varma (51 not out) propelled India to its highest-ever total of 211-6 against its traditional rival in the T20 format.
Pakistan's batting cracked against disciplined Indian bowling and got restricted to 192-6.
Hasan Nawaz, who was dropped early in his innings, showed plenty of flare with a knock of 96 off 51 balls before getting caught behind of the final ball as India retained its gold.
It was India’s seventh straight win over Pakistan in T20s and fifth consecutive men’s game between the two bitter rivals where players didn’t shake hands — both before and after the game.
Sharma and Varma wound Pakistan
Left-handed Sharma struck a 20-ball half-century despite 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi getting out for 15 as Saim Ayub mocked the youngster with a “baby in the cradle” gesture after the dismissal.
Sooryavanshi tried to reverse sweep Ayub but was caught by wicketkeeper Usman Khan, who bobbled twice before completing the catch.
Pakistan, which went with five specialized bowlers plus Ayub’s offspin, surprisingly went with the option of part-timer Saad Masood in the second over that allowed Sharma to break free by smacking three sixes and a boundary in the 24-run over.
Pakistan was untidy in the field too with Sharma getting dropped twice and he should have been run-out before completing his half-century, while captain Shreyas Iyer also got a life when Ayub missed out his second catch.
Sharma, who hit seven sixes and three fours, was stumped after a 28-ball knock. Pakistan came back strongly in the middle overs through spinner Arafat Minhas (2-25) and Abrar Ahmed (1-29).
But Varma and Shivam Dube (27) upped the ante in the final three overs by smacking 57 runs against Sufyan Moqim, Ayub and Ahmed Daniyal. Varma holed out in the outfield in Ahmed’s final over, but Varma motored to his 21-ball half-century by clubbing 15 runs of the fast bowler’s final four balls.
Nawaz the lone Pakistan fighter
Pakistan fell behind in the powerplay against Jasprit Bumrah’s yorkers. And when Maaz Sadaqat was brilliantly caught by a juggling Washington Sundar at deep fine leg, it slipped to 39-3 in the seventh over.
But Nawaz kept Pakistan in the hunt with his fluent strikes that featured seven sixes and five fours as spinners Axar Patel (2-29) and Sundar (2-29) shared four wickets and Dube grabbed 2-33 that included the wicket of Nawaz of the final ball.
No handshakes yet again
ICC chairman Jay Shah was in attendance for Saturday’s final as Iyer didn’t shake hands with Pakistan skipper Sahibzada Farhan at the toss. The teams also didn't shake hands after the game.
In other Asian Games events like hockey, players from both countries did embrace each other and shook hands with each other after India beat Pakistan in the semifinal.
Cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan brought the two countries to the brink of war last year, with the acrimony also spilling onto the cricket field.
Indian cricketers have avoided handshakes with Pakistan players, and have refused to accept the trophy and medals from a Pakistani official at more than one tournament.
The Indian men’s team beat Pakistan three times in the Asia Cup, including the final, but Suryakumar Yadav’s team refused to accept the trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi and didn’t shake hands with Pakistan players in any of the three games.
The Indian women’s team didn’t shake hands with the Pakistan team at a match at the continental championship and also refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi when it won the women’s Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
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