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Match Preview Mirpur: India will aim to maintain their all-win record when they meet minnows United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their final group game of the Asia Cup at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium here on Thursday. India top the pool table with six points after winning all their three matches so far – against hosts Bangladesh, arch-rivals Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The men in blue have assured themselves a place in Sunday’s final after the five-wicket win over the Lankans on Tuesday and even an unlikely defeat against the UAE will not hamper them. India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni may decide to make a few changes in the line-up in order to give match practice to some of the players who have not featured in the tournament till now. [caption id=“attachment_2655294” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
Team India. Getty[/caption] “We’ll definitely make a few changes in the coming games. How many we can, that’s something we will have to see. Because we still want the strength and the composition of the side to be very good,” Dhoni told reporters here. “I think most of the players will definitely get a chance in the next game. Whether all the people who are sitting outside will get a chance, we’re not sure. But we will try to make as many changes as possible,” he added. The Indian team management may consider including the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Harbhajan Singh, Pawan Negi and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the line-up for the UAE game. Among the four, Rahane is the one who has the best chance to be selected. The right-hander has been in good form in recent months and may be included in place of the off-colour Shikhar Dhawan. The Indian think tank may also decide to rest veteran pacer Ashish Nehra in order to keep him fresh for the final. The 36-year-old Nehra has been in excellent form, picking up five wickets. If the Indian team management does decide to rest the Delhi pacer, Bhuvneshwar Kumar may be included in his place. The spin bowling combination may also witness a change as experienced off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and left-armer Pawan Negi may replace Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for this particular game. Negi who was the most expensive Indian player during the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, will also be valuable for his ability to produce the big hits lower down the order. The UAE will look to their captain Amjad Javed to lead from the front. Javed has bagged 12 wickets from the UAE’s six matches in this tournament (including the qualifiers) and will hope to inflict some early blows on the Indian batting. But the rest of the UAE bowlers are expected to be cannon fodder against the likes of Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni. IANS
Asia Cup, India vs UAE Live: It's a cruise as Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh power India to a nine-wicket win
Live updates of the Asia Cup match between India and UAE
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So Bhajji, Bhuvi and Negi get some valuable game time as India stay unbeaten with a crushing win over UAE. Rohit and Yuvraj played some excellent shots to take India home with 59 balls to spare – their biggest win by run-margin.
That’s bring an end to our coverage of the rather subdued match between India and UAE. The final on Sunday, however, promises to be anything but that. Join us then! It promises to be a cracker!
Drives home the point really. It was a very easy win for India, easier than expected.
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)
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)
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.
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! 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.