Asia Cup, India vs UAE Live: It's a cruise as Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh power India to a nine-wicket win

DHONI: You need 15 mins to develop a bad habit, but 10 games to make a winning habit, important to win today. Was more crucial to test bench strength in bowling, given chance of injuries to pacers

Man of the match is Rohit Sharma: ‘Wickets have been challenging here, so it’s good to get runs. Important to analyse the conditions early, never easy to play your shots right away.’

Presentation ceremony. Very difficult to guess who will be the man of the match in this one. My vote would be Shaiman Anwar for doing what none of his teammates could

Drives home the point really. It was a very easy win for India, easier than expected. 

Today's win with 59 balls to spare is India's best ever against any side in all T20Is!#IndvsUAE#AsiaCupT20

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) March 3, 2016

Watch Ayaz Memon analyse what was an easy win for India »» http://www.firstpost.com/category/sports

That’s it! Yuvraj Singh finishes it in style – pulls to the square leg boundary as India finish with a 9 wicket win

Six runs from that over and India are a shot away from a win. Yuvraj was almost stumped after going down the track, but edges it to the third man boundary

After 10 overs India 78/1

Yuvraj is looking in wonderful touch out there – two utterly glorious shots in that over from Yuvi in that over from Shahzad. First a pull off from the front foot. Then the best of the match so far – a stunning shot over long-off for six 

After 9 overs India 72/1

Seventh over saw Dhawan struggle for five balls and drive the last ball through covers for a four – FINALLY! 8th over – both Dhawan and Yuvraj make merry. First Yuvi drives exquisitely through covers for a four and then Dhawan finishes the over, first streaky to third man and then a pull.

After 8 overs India 62/1

OUT! Rohit Sharma’s extra-fast innings of 39 (ioff 28 balls) ends as he’s taken at third man as he tries to upper cut a short ball. But not before he two more fours in that over, the first one off the first ball was extra-special  through midwicket

After 6 overs India 43/1 (Dhawan 2, Yuvraj 0)

After 5 overs India are 35/0.

Rohit has 31 of India’s 35. Back-to-back 4’s in that over too – he’s in an almight hurry

Rohit Sharma is in a hurry to finish this chase. First a streaky inside-edge for 4, then a booming off-drive for 6 (that was high and mighty), and then an elegant flick for 4 as Javed’s over goes for 16 runs.

After 4 overs India 24/0 (Rohit 22, Dhawan 1)

Shikhar Dhawan survives a loud appeal off Naveed, there was a definite sound as the ball went past the bat – Dhawan was trying to take his bat away at the last minute. Another umpiring error at the Asia Cup – horrendous standards to be quite honest,

After 3 overs India 8/0 (Rohit 6, Dhawan 2)

Just two runs from that over Amjad Javed – the skipper. Rohit faces five balls, gives Shikhar just the last ball but he promptly takes single to retain strike.

After 2 overs India 7/0 (Rohit 6, Dhawan 1)

How often has Rohit Sharma gets going in the first over with a crashing shot through the point region for four? Well, he did that again. Takes a single off Javed’s last ball, keeps strike.

After 1 over India 5/0 (Rohit 5, Dhawan 0)

Alright India need just 82 to win. Rohit & Dhawan in the middle. Predictions on how many overs it’ll take?

Teams paid their condolences to former NZ Captain, Martin Crowe earlier in the evening pic.twitter.com/W60qlAfLO4

— BCCI (@BCCI) March 3, 2016

OUT! Two wickets in the final over from Bhuvi. First Naveed gives Negi a skier at midwicket. Then Shaiman Anwar falls after a super innings, unfortunately run out off the penultimate. Just one run in that over! It’s been dire from UAE’s batsmen but what a good innings from Anwar, by far the best showing by any of the batsmen

After 20 overs, UAE finihs with 81/9

Anwar has played an innings so incongruous with the rest of the batsmen, hits a super straight six off a slower ball from Bumrah.

UAE 80/7 in 19

Five runs from Yuvraj’s over, as eventless as this entire innings has been. Except the fifth ball where a lazy Anwar was almost caught short by a long throw from Pandya to Dhoni. Barely makes it to the crease

After 18 overs 71/7

OUT! Shaiman Anwar is running out of partners, quite literally. Tariq takes a suicidal run after pushing just wide off Negi, his throw back to Dhoni catches him well short. 

After 17 overs 66/7 (Shaiman Anwar 34)

OUT! Yuvraj comes into the attack and strikes yet again – he’s done that repeatedly this tournament. Usman mis-hits one and it looked it was falling short of Hardik PAndya but he covered great ground, in quick time and put in a full stretch dive to take an excellent catch! Anwar at the other end, is fighting a lone battle, played a super backfoot punch through covers in that over

After 16 overs ( Muhammad Kaleem 0 , Shaiman Anwar 33)

OUT! Harbhajan strikes too, captain Amjad hits it straight to Negi at midwicket, who returns the favor with a simple catch. Harbhajan is really tossing it up – extremely slow through the air, tempting the batsmen. Anwar is holding steady.

After 14 overs UAE 55/5 (Kaleem , Shaiman Anwar 27)

OUT ! Pawan Negi, starts off with three rank short balls, and then tosses one up as Usman skies it to Bhajji at long-off. 10 runs from that over but the crucial first wicket in his career.

After 12 overs 42/3 ( Mohammad Usman 7 , Shaiman Anwar 18)

Bhajji again beats Usman’s outside edge, and ust three from that over. Up next, Pawan Negi for the first time.

4 maidens from 11 now.

After 11 overs 39/3 ( Mohammad Usman 6 , Shaiman Anwar 16)

Another 7-run over for UAE – as Usman finds the midwicket boundary off the 4th ball from Pandya’s over. Follows that up with a good shot to point but it’s stopped well.

After 10 overs, 32/3 ( Mohammad Usman 0 , Shaiman Anwar 15)

Another very good over from Harbhajan but he is beating the batsman more than he’d like to get the edge. – the last ball to Usman was a beauty from around the wicket.  Seven runs from the over, including two leg byes

OUT! Rohan Mustafa’s tortured existence at the crease ends. Hits a short ball straight to Virat Kohli at covers. Another maiden over, this time from Pandya.

After 9 overs 25/3 ( Mohammad Usman 0 , Shaiman Anwar 10)

After 8 overs 25/2 ( Rohan Mustafa 10 , Shaiman Anwar 10)

And Harbhajan comes back to the Indian side with a maiden! First time he has bowled since the Australia tour began, and he keeps it slow and gives it air, but no hint of turn

After 7 overs UAE 25/2 ( Rohan Mustafa 10 , Shaiman Anwar 10)

Hardik Pandya into the attack and except for a wild bouncer for a wide, bowls a tight over – not much swing, but the usual skidding. Mustafa with more wild swinging, but leaves the last ball.

Hardik Pandya into the attack…

It’s been a lot of swing-bat-hope-for-the-best stuff, especially from Rohan Mustafa

After 5 overs 15-2 ( Rohan Mustafa 5 , Shaiman Anwar 5)

Bhuvi concedes his first runs of the day! And it’s actually a dropped chance as Raina puts down a high catch at second slip as Mustafa goes chasing a wide ball

After 4 overs UAE 7/2 

UAE’s best batsmen Shaiman Anwar gets off the mark with a four off Bumrah, who bowls a wide too. Six runs from the over and a wicket

OUT! It’s now Bumrah’s turn to strike. Shahzad falls for a duck, chasing wide outside off and the edge taken by Suresh Raina at second slip

OUT! Bhuvi draws first blood. Swapnil closes the face of the bat, leading edge loops up and is caught by Bhuvi. Two maidens from Bhuvi now, what a start for him. (Just a leg bye in that over)

After 3 overs 2/1 ( Rohan Mustafa 0 , Mohammad Shahzad 0)

After 2 overs 1/0 ( Rohan Mustafa 0 , Swapnil Patil 1)

Another good from the Indian seamers. Bumrah concedes just one – off the short ball that was crashed straight to third man.

After 2 overs 1/0 ( Rohan Mustafa 0 , Swapnil Patil 1)

Another good from the Indian seamers. Bumrah concedes just one – off the short ball that was crashed straight to third man.

Bhuvneshwar starts off with a maiden over – getting the ball to swing around a bit to the left handed Rohan Mustafa. Mostly moving it into the left hander

After 1 over 0/0 ( Rohan Mustafa 0 , Swapnil Patil 0)

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to start off the proceedings for India..

UAE XI: R Mustafa, M Kaleem, Mohammad Shahzad, S Anwar, M Usman, S Patil, A Javed, F Tariq, M Naveed, A Raza, Q Ahmed

— BCCI (@BCCI) March 3, 2016

Players observing a minute’s silence in remembrance of Martin Crowe. Impeccably observed and then players head to Jeff Crowe, Martin’s elder brother and referee for tonight, and offer their condolences. A very poignant moment

Good to see Bhajji, Negi & Bhuvi playing.Opposition weak & result immaterial, but allows them 'big match' feel rather than warming bench

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) March 3, 2016

INDIA XI: Rohit, Dhawan, Kohli, Raina, Yuvraj, Pandya, Dhoni, Negi, Harbhajan, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah

India make three changes. Nehra, Jadeja and Ashwin are rested. In come Harbhajan, Bhuvneshwar and Pawan Negi

Rameez Raja is out for the toss with Dhoni and Javed. UAE won the toss and will bat first.

UAE, for their part, have actually held their own so far in the tournament. They ran Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan close with some spirited bowling. Their batting has been the big let down far. Except against Paksitan, when Shaiman Anwar and Amjad Javed played good cameos.

Most of the discussion today has been about who are the fringe players who’ll feature for India. It is worth remembering that Dhoni would want to still keep the unbeaten run going, so wholesale changes might not be feasible. Let’s wait and watch, Toss is arounf the corner..

Most of the discussion today has been about who are the fringe players who’ll feature for India. It is worth remembering that Dhoni would want to still keep the unbeaten run going, so wholesale changes might not be feasible. Let’s wait and watch, Toss is arounf the corner..

Pawan Negi 59th Indian to get a T20I cap!
5th left-arm spinner after: Yuvraj, M Kartik, R Jadeja, P Ojha, Axar Patel#IndvsUAE#AsiaCupT20

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) March 3, 2016

Just a little pitch inspection by captain @msdhoni before the toss #AsiaCup #IndvsUAE pic.twitter.com/NKYGE6Udn1

— BCCI (@BCCI) March 3, 2016

Here’s something any cricket fan must read without fail – Firstpost writers’ tribute for Martin Crowe

Remembering #MartinCrowe: Two touching tributes in memory of the New Zealand legend. https://t.co/3hnPLOR9QP and https://t.co/mcgMqwloIp

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) March 3, 2016

Some early team news from Dhaka..

Big day for @iampawannegi. He is all set to make his T20I debut for India against UAE #AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/pzdtNXxb2P

— BCCI (@BCCI) March 3, 2016

Before we start off with our build up to the action in Dhaka, our thoughts are with Martin Crowe’s family as today the cricketing world lost a true great. The legendary Kiwi lost his battle to lymphoma this morning. Rest in peace, Martin Crowe.

Hello and welcome to Firstpost’s coverage of India’s final match of the group stage in the Asia Cup where they take on the minnows UAE. With a place in the final guaranteed,chances are MS Dhoni will look to test his bench strength today, so it’s bound to be a big chance for the likes of Harbhajan, Rahane to impress