Nagoya (GNP): Pakistan and India will meet in the Asian Games men’s cricket final after winning their semi-finals on Thursday, Pakistan beating Bangladesh by six wickets and India beating Sri Lanka by 124 runs.
The two results could hardly have been more different. Pakistan needed a late rescue in a rain-shortened contest, while defending champions India controlled their match from the first innings.
Pakistan’s semi-final was cut to 13 overs a side at Korogi Sports Park. Bangladesh, asked to bat first, posted 111-7, led by Towhid Hridoy’s 42 off 25 balls, which included four sixes and two fours.
Pakistan’s bowlers kept the total in check. Sufiyan Muqeem took three wickets for 26 runs, Arafat Minhas claimed two for 23, and Saim Ayub returned figures of 1-3 from two overs.
The chase of 112 still began badly, with Pakistan sliding to 54-4. Abdul Samad and Hasan Nawaz then added an unbeaten 58-run partnership to finish the job in 11.3 overs.
The turning point was the 10th over, when Samad attacked Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman for 22 runs from five balls. He hit a six over long-on and followed it with four consecutive boundaries, which cut the target down and shifted the momentum.
Samad finished unbeaten on 30 from 15 balls. Nawaz stayed not out on 27 from 22 deliveries, with two fours and two sixes.
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India’s route to the final was far smoother. Batting first against Sri Lanka, they made 169-7 in 20 overs, built on Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 80 from 46 balls and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 38 off 21.
Sri Lanka had no answer in reply and were bowled out for 45 in 9.5 overs. Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma took two wickets each.
Both sides reached the semi-finals without playing a quarter-final ball, as their matches were washed out and they advanced on higher rankings. That shared path now leads to a meeting at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Saturday.
The gold medal match adds an Asian Games title to another contest between the two Asian rivals.
