The highly anticipated encounter of the Asia Cup 2025 finally arrived as traditional rivals India and Pakistan locked horns in Dubai. The excitement around the game was immense, with fans eagerly waiting for every moment of the contest.

Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first, hoping to set a strong total on the board. However, their start did not go as planned. The Indian bowlers struck early, putting the Pakistani top order under pressure right from the powerplay overs.

Among the batters, Fakhar Zaman received a lifeline soon after arriving at the crease. He tried to stabilize the innings with a few attacking strokes but failed to leave any lasting impact on the scoreboard.

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Axar Patel Bags Fakhar Zaman’s Catch:

Pakistan faced early trouble as they lost both openers within the first two overs of their innings. This brought Fakhar Zaman to the crease much earlier than expected. His arrival set the stage for a tense battle against India’s pace attack.

On just the second ball he faced, Bumrah trapped him in front, and the umpire declared him out. Fakhar immediately reviewed the decision, which overturned in his favor, giving him a lucky escape. He managed to add a handful of runs, including three boundaries, but despite the brief resistance, his knock lacked influence and failed to change Pakistan’s position.

In the eighth over, Fakhar Zaman attempted to shift momentum by attacking Axar Patel. Eager to take on the left-arm spinner, he advanced down the pitch, looking for a big stroke to ease the pressure on Pakistan.

However, Axar cleverly adjusted, delivering a quicker ball angled across the batter. Fakhar mistimed the shot, sending it high into the night sky instead of clearing the boundary. Tilak Varma, positioned at long-on, judged it well and completed a clean catch. With that dismissal, Fakhar’s brief stay ended, leaving Pakistan struggling to rebuild after another setback in their innings.

 

 

 

 

 

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Fakhar Zaman scored 17 runs from 15 deliveries, striking three boundaries but failing to convert his start into a meaningful knock. With a strike rate of 113.33, his short innings added little impact, leaving Pakistan searching for stronger contributions from the middle order.