Asia Cup, highlights: Shahid Afridi inspires Pakistan to one-wicket win over India | Cricket Today

Mirpur, Bangladesh:  Pakistan held their nerve to beat arch-nemesis India by 1 wicket to go top of points table with nine points from three games. Here are the highlights from Mirpur: (Scorecard |Commentary | Match Report | Points Table)

As it stands, Pakistan lead the points table with 9 points from three matches. Sri Lanka are second with 8 points in three matches while India are third with 4 points. For India to make it to the final, they need to beat Afghanistan by a massive margin and gain a bonus point, and then hope for Afghanistan to cause another upset over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to beat Pakistan. For the moment however, Pakistan look on course to defend their Asia Cup crown.

Quotes from Presentation:

Misbah-ul Haq: We had the tag of not being good chasers so I'm happy with the way we pulled it off today. We are not thinking about the final. We are only thinking about our next game.

Virat Kohli: Captaincy has been a learning experience. Last game was tough, this game was nice. Proud of the way we played. When you have a young team, the result is not always the end thing you want to count. We were probably a few 20-30 runs short in that kind of the wicket. Maybe 260-270 would have been easy.

21.22 (IST): What a brilliant effort from Pakistan, this! They have nine points from three games and have to play Bangladesh in their final tie. Sri Lanka is currently second with 8 points while India is 3rd with 4 points. India need to beat Afghanistan by a big margin to win with a bonus point and hope they can upset Sri Lanka, if they are to make it to the final.

21.20 (IST): Vintage Afridi takes Pakistan home! After a lot of tension, he clubbed two big sixes of Ashwin to take Pakistan to a one-wicket win.  Yet again, an India-Pakistan tie manages to enthrall one and all!

21.17 (IST): Ravichandran Ashwin strikes first ball of final over! Saeed Ajmal is bowled from round the legs! Pakistan 236/9 in 49.1 overs, need 10 to win from 5 balls.

21.15 (IST): Another wicket! Mohammed Talha takes the aerial route but cannot clear Ravindra Jadeja in the deep. Pakistan 236/8 in 49 overs.

21.12 (IST): Umar Gul is gone! This game has more twists and turns! Gul hits one towards the long on fence and Rahane takes a good, diving catch. Pakistan 235/7 in 48.3 overs, need 11 to win from 9 balls.

21.08 (IST): Good over under the circumstances from Mohammed Shami. Four singles off it. Pakistan 233/6 in 48 overs, need 13 to win from 2 overs.

21.03 (IST): 13 runs from Bhuvneshwar Kumar's over. Pakistan 229/6 in 47 overs, need 17 to win from 3 overs.

20.58 (IST): Shahid Afridi has slammed a six and four in back-to-back deliveries off Jadeja. Pakistan 216/6 in 46 overs, need 30 to win from 24 balls.

20.53 (IST): Oh dear! Suicidal from Pakistan! Sohaib Maqsood is gone now! Poor calling between Maqsood and Afridi and Dinesh Karthik gets a chance to vindicate himself. Pakistan 203/6 in 45 overs, need 43 to win from 30 balls.

20.47 (IST): Mohammad Hafeez is gone! Is this the turning point! Ashwin gets his second wicket as Hafeez attempts a slog sweep and Bhuvneshwar Kumar takes a good catch in the deep under pressure. Pakistan 200/5 in 43.3 overs, need 46 to win from 39 balls.

20.43 (IST): Pakistan reach 199/4 in 43 overs. Need 47 to win from 42 balls.

20.31 (IST): Amit Mishra comes back into the attack. His eight overs have gone for 16 runs so far and he also has two wickets. Pakistan 179/4 in 40 overs , need 67 runs to win from 60 balls.

20.22 (IST): Dinesh Karthik fluffs a stumping chance! Oh boy... how costly is this going to be. Ashwin foxes Sohaib with a carrom ball. Sohaib was down the wicket and well short off his crease but Karthik failed to collect the ball cleanly and complete the stumping. Pakistan 169/4 in 37.5 overs, need 78 off 73 balls.

20.12 (IST): Ravichandran Ashwin comes back as Pakistan's batting powerplay begins. He starts off from round the wicket.

20.08 (IST): Fifty for Mohammed Hafeez! His 19th in ODIs and 2nd vs India. It has taken him 85 balls but he has stuck in there during a crucial period. Pakistan 156/4 in 35 overs, need 90 runs to win from 90 balls.

19.53 (IST): Pakistan reach 145 for 4 in 32 overs. Mohammed Hafeez (44) and Sohaib Maqsood (14) in the middle. Pakistan now need 101 off 18 overs.

19.20 (IST): Another strike from Amit Mishra! What a performance from him. Umar Akmal goes after him but miscues his shot. It goes high in the air and Ravindra Jadeja just about got under it and got his hands to it. Pakistan 113/4 in 22.2 overs.

19.02 (IST): Oh dear! Misbah-ul-Haq is gone, run out for the second time in as many games. He is gone for one. Hafeez called for a run and then said no but Misbah had ran too far to get back on time. Pakistan 96/3 in 16.2 overs.

18.55 (IST): Mishra strikes! He was getting a lot of turn but the ball that has fetched him a wicket is an ordinary short one. India will take it. Shehzad tried to pull a short ball but can't beat Ashwin at mid-wicket. Pak 93/2 in 15 overs.

18.42 (IST): Amit Mishra is into the attack and straightaway gets a lot of turn.

18.37 (IST): Bowled him! Ravichandran Ashwin bowls a flighted carrom ball from round the wicket and left-handed Sharjeel Khan fails to read it. The ball goes through the bat-pad gap and hits the stumps. Pakistan 71/1 in 11 overs.

18.26 (IST): Spin from both ends as Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja come into the attack. The Pakistan pacers have looked good so far.

18.15 (IST): Positive start for Pakistan so far. They've reached 35/0 in 6 overs. Sharjeel Khan (8) has struggled but Ahmed Shehzad (17) looks in fine nick.

17.46 (IST): Sharjeel Khan and Ahmed Shehzad walk out to begin Pakistan's chase.

17.17 (IST): Mohammed Hafeez: There was a little assistance that is why we bowled first. Now there could be some dew, so it could work for us.

17.15 (IST): End of the innings! India reach 245/8 in 50 overs. Three fifties from Rohit Sharma (56), Ambati Rayudu (58) and Ravindra Jadeja (52 not out) took India to 245/8 in 50 overs.  The day so far has belonged to the Pakistan bowlers with Saeed Ajmal (3/40) being the best of the lot and debutant Mohammed Talha (2/22 in 7 overs) also doing well. It is now down to the India bowlers to try and restrict Pakistan in a fairly simple run chase. 

17.12 (IST): Ninth ODI fifty for Ravindra Jadeja. An important knock from the left-hander. It has come in 46 balls. India 242/8 in 49.2 overs.

17.08 (IST): Another wicket! The ploy of sending Mohammed Shami ahead has not worked. He went after a ball but it did not have enough weight behind it. He is caught out by Sohaib Maqsood.

17.06 (IST): Gone! Saeed Ajmal foxes Ravichandran Ashwin, who comes down the attack and misses the ball completely. Umar Akmal completes the formality of stumping.

17.00 (IST): A huge caught behind appeal against Ravichandran Ashwin! The entire Pakistan team is convinced but the umpire is unmoved. Replays suggested there could have been a faint nick on that one. More misery for Pakistan as Ashwin gets two boundaries and Jadeja finishes it with a six over deep mid wicket. India 237/6 in 47 overs

16.57 (IST): Ambati Rayudu is gone! He comes down the track to Saeed Ajmal but can't clear the substitute fielder Anwar Ali at long on. He walks back on 58, India 214/6 in 46.2 overs.

16.51 (IST): Ravindra Jadeja gets two back-to-back fours off Umar Gul to take his partnership with Rayudu past 50. India 212/5 in 45.5 overs.

16.47 (IST): Ravindra Jadeja cuts Mohammed Hafeez behind point to take India past 200. India 201/5 in 45 overs.

16.40 (IST): Oh dear! Hafeez puts down a sitter. Ravindra Jadeja skies one and Hafeez called for it but let it slip through between his fingers. Will this be a costly miss? India 187/5 in 43 overs.

16.35 (IST): Fifty for Ambati Rayudu. His 2nd in ODIs. It has come in 55 balls. India 187/5 in 42.5 overs.

16.23 (IST): Ambati Rayudu seems to have hurt himself there. He put in a full length dive while completing a run and seems to have hurt his leg in the process. He is getting some medical attention in the middle. India 168/2 in 39.2 overs.

16.12 (IST): Hafeez strikes in the powerplay! Dinesh Karthik attempts a cheeky sweep, but the top edge is well taken by Saeed Ajmal at short fine leg. India 155/5 in 36.1 overs.

16.06 (IST): The batting powerplay begins with India on 147/4 in 35 overs.

15.48 (IST): India have ticked along to 133/4 in 30 overs with Ambati Rayudu (23) and Dinesh Karthik (11) in the middle. Pakistan have taken full command of the game here. To India's credit, Rayudu and Karthik have not lost their wicket and have kept the scorecard just about ticking. The powerplay overs will be extremely crucial for India.

15.17 (IST): Four down! India in trouble here. Mohammad Talha gets his second wicket. What a performance this is turning out to be for the young man. Ajinkya Rahane (23) is gone after a good start, caught by Mohammed Hafeez at mid-wicket. India 103/4 in 23.2 overs.

15.02 (IST): India reach 92/3 in 20 overs. The second set of ten overs has belonged to Pakistan. They've bowled very well and put the brakes on the run scoring. To add to their good bowling, they were rewarded with the wicket of Rohit Sharma, who was probably looking for a move on as the runs were hard to come by. In the process he perished for 56, leaving two new batsmen in the middle. 32 runs for one wicket came in the second set of 10 overs, with Ajinkya Rahane and Ambati Rayudu in the middle.

14.59 (IST): This is how Rohit Sharma's innings went.

14.57 (IST): Rohit Sharma is gone! He has thrown his good start away. He tries to pull Mohammed Talha but a leading edge goes high in the air and Mohammed Hafeez takes a good, running catch. Talha gets his first ODI scalp. A well earned one for him. India 92/3 19.1 overs.

14.54 (IST): Debutant Mohammed Talha has started well here. He has given very little away. Only 11 runs from his three overs.India 90/2 in 18 overs

14.47 (IST): Saeed Ajmal comes into the attack and starts with a tidy over, giving away just 1 run. India 85/2 in 17 overs.

14.35 (IST): Fifty for Rohit Sharma! He gets it with a four off Shahid Afridi! This is his 22nd ODI fifty and his fourth vs Pakistan. India 78/2 in 14.1 overs.

14.29 (IST): Debutant Mohammed Talha comes into the attack. He gets a hint of early out swing. India 69/2 in 13.1 overs.

14.23 (IST): This India-Pakistan clash, like most of the past, has lived up to the hype. In what has been the most eventful set of first 10 overs in the tournament so far, Pakistan began their bowling with Mohammed Hafeez, who dismissed Shikhar Dhawan cheaply. Unlike recent times, Rohit Sharma started confidently and took the attack to the Pakistan bowlers, hitting two sixes on the way. India reached the fastest 50 of the tournament in 49 balls (8.1 overs) but Pakistan pulled one back by getting rid of Virat Kohli early. Both teams have shared the honours in the first 10 overs and the next 10 could be crucial.

14.18 (IST): Ajinkya Rahane plays a wonderfully timed straight drive to the fence to take India to 60/2 in 10 overs.

14.14 (IST): Oh dear! Indian fans look away as Virat Kohli (5) has gifted his wicket! Kohli tries to guide a ball down to the third man fence but an edge carried straight to Umar Akmal. India 56/2 in 9.1 overs.

14.08 (IST): Rohit Sharma looks like a man on a mission. He hits Junaid Khan for a four over mid-off to bring up the 50 for India. This is the fastest 50 off the tournament. India 52/1 in 8.1 overs.

14.06 (IST): Virat Kohli needs to be wary of Misbah-ul-Haq fielding at short cover. Kohli has the knack of driving a lot through the covers and needs to keep it along the ground today.

14.00 (IST): Rohit is in good touch here. A length ball from Junaid and he flicked the ball over mid-wicket for his second six of the game. India 38/1 in 6.4 overs.

13.52 (IST): What a shot from Rohit! Junaid Khan tries to angle the ball away from the right hander and Rohit cut it elegantly behind point for a four. India 30/1 in 4.4 overs.

13.50 (IST): Junaid Khan replaces Mohammed Hafeez. Hafeez was clearly used to get rid of Shikhar Dhawan early and he managed to do that.

13.48 (IST): First six of the game! Rohit Sharma pulls Umar Gul for a six over deep square leg. Sublime timing from Rohit there. India 25/1 in 3.5 overs.

13.43 (IST): Mohammed Hafeez strikes! He continues to do well against the left-handed batsman. In this case, he traps Shikhar Dhawan (10) in front of the stumps. India 18/1 in 3 overs.

13.31 (IST): First runs! Dhawan cuts Hafeez in front of point for four. India 5/0 in 0.2 overs.

13.30 (IST): Interesting, bold start from Pakistan as right arm offbreak bowler Mohammed Hafeez opens the bowling.

13.26 (IST): Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma walk out to begin India's innings.

13.18 (IST): As it stands, Sri Lanka are top of the points table with 8 points from two matches. Pakistan are second with 5 points and India are third with 4 points from two matches each. With a win over Bangladesh, Afghanistan are also on 4 points but behind India on Net Run Rate.

13.16 (IST): Pacer Mohammed Talha receives his ODI cap from his skipper Misbah-ul-Haq.

13.14 (IST): Pakistan: Sharjeel Khan, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammed Hafeez, Sohaib Maqsood, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Mohammed Talha, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan

13.10 (IST): India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami

13.04 (IST): India have replaced Stuart Binny with leg spinner Amit Mishra. Its a gamble given that Pakistan have won the toss and elected to field first. If the dew comes into play, the spinners could find life tough when they come on to bowl.

13.00 (IST): Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq wins toss, elects to field first vs India in Mirpur.

12.46 (IST): According to the pitch report, the conditions in Mirpur is such that there would be far lesser dew that that was witnessed in the games at Fatullah. That could have an impact on the captains' decision at the toss.

12.34 (IST): Head-to-head in 125 games, Pakistan (71 wins) have a better record over India (50 wins) but India tend to hold the aces in

12.34 (IST): The last time these two teams met in the Asia Cup, Virat Kohli scored 183. Wonder what's in store from the Indian skipper today.

12.22 (IST): At the start of the tournament, Virat Kohli played down the hype behind the clash between India and Pakistan, but here they are, locking horns in a clash that is extremely crucial for their survival in the tournament.

12:10 (IST): Defending champions Pakistan suffered an opening defeat against Sri Lanka. Their performance against Afghanistan also left room for improvement despite a 72-run wineventually. India too have been rather jaded. The five-time Asia Cup winners were hardly convincing in their 6-wicket victory against hosts Bangladesh. This was followed by a defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka by two wickets in a match where the fielding made a mockery of itself.

12:00 (IST): Eight months ago - on June 15, 2013 - India and Pakistan took each other on in Champions Trophy, at Birmingham. A wave of blue and green was threatened by repeated rain but it was the Indian team which eventually managed to come out on top - winning the eight wickets and with 17 balls to spare. Fast-forward to March 2 and the two sides will lock horns once again - this time much close to home.