DUBAI: With their powerful batting and fast improving bowling, India are Asia's best hope at the World Cup which takes place in England next year.

Even without batting star and regular captain Virat Kohli, India powered their way to the Asia Cup title in Dubai, outlasting Bangladesh by three wickets off the last ball in the final.

"India proved to be well ahead of everyone," former Pakistan skipper Wasim told AFP.

"Their exposure is greater, they have financial benefits and the money invested in their system like the Indian Premier League is bearing fruits."

He added: "It's hard to predict eight months in advance but I am sure Pakistan will bounce back. They have some serious work to do in both bowling and batting. Bangladesh have an inspirational captain in Mashrafe Mortaza and Afghanistan is becoming a dangerous team."

Indian team celebrates after winning the Asia Cup in Dubai. (AFP Photo)

Bangladesh, led by Mortaza, fought hard to beat higher-ranked Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who both require some serious work ahead of the World Cup starting from May 30.

Fast-rising Afghanistan, who had to qualify for the World Cup, proved they will be a thorn for many teams with their wicket-taking spinners Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman and a never-say-die spirit.

Champions Trophy holders Pakistan had promised more at the Asia Cup but failed to deliver, unable to put up a fighting total as 162 and 237-7 could not challenge a powerful Indian batting line-up.

Head coach Mickey Arthur termed it a "confidence crisis."

"It's a confidence thing," said Arthur after two defeats against India. "These guys work every day on their catching, but the minute one goes down, it's kind of like a disease.

"We've got to trust the skills to come out in the end. We've banked the work. It's time for that to pay off."

While Rohit Sharma will continue to challenge Kohli as stand-in captain, Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews was not only forced to step down but was also dropped from the squad for the forthcoming England one-day series.

Pakistan have since dropped pace spearhead Mohammad Amir who went wicketless in three Asia Cup matches.

He has yet to play a 50-over World Cup -- missing the 2011 and 2015 events due to a five-year ban for spot fixing on Pakistan's tour of England in 2010.

Afghanistan shocked Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the first round at the Asia Cup.

Every time Afghanistan bat first and score 250-plus they will cause problems for the rivals through Rashid who on Sunday became the number one allrounder in one-day cricket besides being number two bowler in that format.

Afghanistan's best came against a depleted India -- resting Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal -- as they tied the game in the last over.

Only a three-run defeat off the last ball against Bagladesh deprived Afghanistan from a place in the final.

"We have sounded a warning for the World Cup teams," said Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan. "We need to work in a few areas so we have time to do that before the World Cup."

DUBAI: Opener Rohit Sharma, who led his team to Asia Cup title in the absence of top-ranked Virat Kohli, on Sunday climbed two places up to a career-best second position to make it a 1-2 for India in the ICC ODI batting rankings.

READ ALSO: Rohit Sharma's captaincy helps India take assured steps towards 2019 World Cup

This is for the second time that Sharma is in second position, having first reached number two in July this year. He aggregated 317 runs in the tournament, which India won by beating Bangladesh in the final by three wickets.

Shikhar Dhawan, who was highest run-getter with 342 runs, gained four slots to reach fifth position.

The pair was rested in India's last Super Four match which ended in a tie against Afghanistan but still led the run aggregate, thanks largely to a 210-run partnership in the Super Four match against Pakistan in which Sharma slammed an unbeaten 111 and Dhawan scored 114.

Another India player to gain in the rankings table is spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has advanced three places to take a career-best third position after finishing as the joint-highest wicket taker along with Bangladesh's fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman and Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan, all of who finished with 10 wickets each.

Rashid has displaced former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan from the top of the all-rounders' list. He has become the first from his country and 32nd overall to reach top position in the list with a jump of six places.

Rashid's success with the ball saw him cross the 800-point mark during the tournament, which saw in action five of the 10 teams to fight it out in next year's ICC Cricket World Cup, and he also chipped in with 87 runs to reach a career-best 97th position among batsmen.

Afghanistan opener Mohammad Shahzad has gained 19 slots to reach 36th position, his highest in two years, while spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has gained 15 slots to reach eighth position.

For Bangladesh, wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim has attained a career-best 16th position, while Liton Das has advanced 107 positions to reach 116th rank after his fine century in the final. Mustafizur has moved up four places to take 12th position among bowlers.

Pakistan left-hander Imam-ul-Haq has gained 15 places to reach a career-best 27th position while Shoaib Malik has gained 12 slots to reach 42nd position. Junaid Khan has gained seven slots to reach 30th position among bowlers.

For Sri Lanka, Upul Tharanga has gained two positions to reach 41st rank while Hong Kong captain Anshuman Rath's knock of 73 against India has led him to 55th position with 532 points, the highest ever points tally for a Hong Kong batsman.

Rath's opening partner Nizakat Khan has gained 28 slots to reach a career-best 78th rank.

In the ICC ODI Team rankings, there is no change in positions in the list led by England, who are followed by India, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

However, India have gained one point and Afghanistan five. Pakistan and Sri Lanka have lost three points each.

NEW DELHI: Shikhar Dhawan was on Saturday dropped for the two-match Test series against West Indies after his horror run in England while Mayank Agarwal and Mohammed Siraj's domestic exploits were rewarded with maiden India call-up.

The selectors decided to rest the duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, taking into account their "workload" in recent months, effectively thrusting upon Mohammed Shami the responsibility to lead the pace attack.

Dhawan had a forgettable outing during the Test series against England with just 162 runs in 8 innings. Mayank, on the other hand, was the top scorer in the last Ranji Trophy season with 1160 runs in 8 matches.

Mumbai's Prithvi Shaw has retained his place in the side after failing to make the playing XI in the last two Tests in England.

Considering that Dhawan has been shown the door, young Shaw could finally get his chance to open the batting with KL Rahul, who seemed to have saved his place with a fine knock in the final Test against England.

Mayank, who is also enjoying a good run of form, is another option for one of the opening slots. Both Mayank and Shaw had a good outing for India A in England earlier this summer.

"Taking stock of the recent workload, the selectors have decided to rest Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Both Ishant Sharma and Hardik Pandya were not considered for selection, as they are yet to recover from their injuries," BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said in a statement.

With this being the final assignment before the team embarks on the tour of Australia, Dhawan's chances for an imminent Test recall looks bleak. His Man of the Series winning effort in Asia Cup ODI tournament was not enough to save his place in the traditional format.

Karun Nair, who was not played in a single Test against England, also got the axe in a surprising move.

Hanuma Vihari, who made a battling half century on his debut at the Oval in the final Test, was preferred over Nair.

The other new face, pacer Siraj was picked after he performed for India A in the recently-concluded quadrangular series featuring Australia A and South Africa A. His exploits included brilliant figures of 8/59 in one of the games.

Murali Vijay, who has been in impressive form in county cricket for Essex after being dropped following a disastrous run in the first three Tests in England, failed to convince the selectors for a recall.

Pandya had to be stretchered off the field after suffering an acute lower back injury in India's game against Pakistan at the Asia Cup.

The spin responsibility will be shouldered by seasoned duo of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and aided by Kuldeep Yadav.

The first Test will be played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot from October 4 to 8, followed by the second match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad from October 12 to 16.

The five-match ODI series will begin on October 21 at Guwahati, followed by the second ODI on October 24th at Indore and third ODI at Pune on October 27th. The final two one-dayers will be held at Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram on October 29th and November 1, respectively.

The one-dayers will be followed by the three T20 Internationals to be held at Kolkata (November 4), Lucknow (November 6) and Chennai (November 11).

Squad: Virat Kohli (captain), KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur

DUBAI: His record as stand-in captain has been quite impressive and Rohit Sharma made it clear that whenever the opportunity comes along, he would be "ready" for full-time captaincy.

READ ALSO: India beat Bangladesh to win seventh Asia Cup title

Under Rohit, India have won two close multi-nation tournaments -- the T20 tri-nation in Sri Lanka and now the Asia Cup 50-over tournament.

A three-time IPL winning captain of Mumbai Indians, Rohit was asked if he is ready for a long-term leadership role in future.

"Definitely. We have just won so I will surely be ready (for captaincy). Whenever the opportunity comes, I will be ready," a smiling Rohit told reporters after India' Asia Cup triumph.

There are challenges of a stand-in captain, Rohit admitted, adding that the main objective is to allow players to play freely without thinking about their places in the team.

"It's a challenge for any team when few of your senior players are rested. Obviously they will make a comeback and few of the guys have to miss out. Every team is doing that and also guys understand that.

"It's up to them whenever they get an opportunity they make it big and make it count but for us -- myself as a captain and our coach, we have to make sure that they have the liberty to go out and play their game without feeling any pressure," said Rohit.

READ ALSO: Rohit's calming influence reflected in his captaincy, says Shastri

"I understand the dynamics of this team, how we play our cricket and how we want to go forward as a team. I think in this tournament we have ticked all the boxes," Rohit looked satisfied after accomplishing his task.

Rohit made it clear that his philosophy of leadership is to help players shed insecurities while playing for the country. He in fact assured the likes of Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik that they will be playing all games.

"When we came here, I wanted to give them the assurance that they will be playing all games. That's how you make players. If you know after two games you are going to get dropped, it's not easy for any player.

"I wanted to give everybody a fair run and play more games. That's how you understand a player's capabilities. One odd game, you can't judge a player," said Rohit.

He agreed that the the fourth and the sixth spots in the batting order are still not settled and the picture would be clearer closer to the World Cup.

"Numbers four and six need to get more games as the World Cup comes closer. Right now is not the time. Come the World Cup, we will get a clearer picture. The next few tournaments, that will be ideal for us to judge as management where they stand as players.

Rohit was more happy with the fact that a young team achieved so much.

"It was very young team that we brought here. Not many boys had the experience of playing in these conditions. It was hot. It wasn't easy for the boys to adapt because they had come from England. It was very important to get used to the conditions.

"But I think overall, our preparation for this tournament was good. Seven-eight guys came here early while the other boys from England landed here a day before the tournament," said the skipper.

Fitness was an issue in gruelling conditions, admitted Rohit.

"The message was to focus on the fitness because we haven't played in conditions like this before. I think this was a big challenge for us. The conditions here were quite slow and there was help for the slow bowlers.

The skipper also praised his spinners for their consistent show.

"Even today, if you see, the way Bangladesh started in the first 10-15 overs and after that the way our spinners brought us back in the game. Our spinners' performance in the last six-eight months has been consistent. It's been a positive sign."

SCORECARD | LIVE BLOG: India vs Bangladesh

INDIA INNINGS (Target: 223)

End of Over 30: India need 88 runs more to win in 20 overs with seven wickets standing. Sounds pretty one-sided, but two quick wickets and it can all change. 135/3

End of Over 28: Dhoni (27*) and Karthik (33*) have added 46 runs now to bring India's chase back on track. Should they manage to stay together for the next 10 overs, it should become easy for India. 129/3

End of Over 25: Mehidy Hasan returns to the attack and Dhoni (17*) dances down the track to smack it past the bowler for a boundary. 112/3

23.1 Overs: Dhoni muscles a half-volley through the covers for his first boundary, which raises India's hundred.

End of Over 21: Karthik (25*) releases the pressure as he makes the most of a rank long-hop from Nazmul Islam. Deposits it for a HUGE SIX over mid-wicket. 97/3

End of Over 20: Dhoni (3* off 10 balls) is taking his time to get his eye in, and Bangladesh mixing it well with an odd short ball to keep him guessing. 90/3



End of Over 18: MS Dhoni has joined Karthik (17*) in the middle as India wobble with the loss of Rohit's wicket. 85/3

16.4 Overs: BIG WICKET! Rubel gets his man - Rohit Sharma (48) pulls it straight to Nazmul Islam. India 83/3

End of Over 15: SIX! Rubel tries to bounce out Rohit (47*), but the India captain hooks the medium-pacer for a maximum over backward square leg. Huge mix-up, yes-no between the two Indian batsmen, but safe in the end as Liton Das throws at the wrong end. 79/2

End of Over 14: India 73/2. Karthik on 13*, Rohit 41*.

End of Over 12: Bangladesh bowlers have done well, which shows in the 4.3 overs Rohit (38*) and Karthik (7*) have taken to add 17 runs since India lost Dhawan. 63/2

End of Over 10: Karthik didn't look comfortable in that Mortaza over. The first Powerplay ends on an even note. India scored 57 runs, Bangladesh bowlers came back from a poor start to take two wickets.

8.3 overs: India's fifty comes up but the two wickets they have lost will make them think twice before continuing aggressively in this tricky run-chase.

7.3 overs: Mortaza strikes, removes Ambati Rayudu (2) caught behind. India have been pegged back after the brisk start. 46/2

End of Over 6: Dismissive! Rohit (27*) pulls Mustafizur for a SIX to end the over. The skipper is in a hurry. 43/1

4.4 overs: Dhawan throws his wicket away. After paddling Nazmul Islam for a boundary, he tries to clear mid-on but fails to do so. India 35/1



End of Over 4: Fourth boundary of the Indian innings and second off Dhawan's bat. The left-hander pierces the field with a square drive. 24/0

End of Over 2: Mustafizur Rahman begins from the other end and hits Dhawan on the pads with the one that seamed in sharply, but it was struck high and turned down. 12/0

End of Over 1: Bangladesh start with the part-time spin of Mehidy Hasan. So they have come out trying to surprise the in-form Indian openers, but Dhawan begins with cut in front of point for India's first boundary. And Rohit's neat clip off the pads gets him his first boundary as well. 10/0

BANGLADESH INNINGS (222 all out)

48.3 Over: All out! Bumrah castles last man Rubel for a duck to bring the curtains down on Bangladesh innings. What a comeback from India to bowl out the opposition for 222 from 120/0! Kuldeep Yadav took 3/45 and Kedar Jadhav 2/41 to help India come back. Das the top-scorer with 121 off 117 balls.



48.1 Overs: Third run-out of the innings. Soumya Sarkar (33) played a handy innings but failed to beat Rayudu-Dhoni combination while trying to steal a second run. 222/9

End of Over 48: Bangladesh 221/8 and are now looking to just play out the last 12 balls to bat their full quota of overs.

46.4 Overs: Another Bangladeshi batsman walks back. It was easy for Manish Pandey to just run in and remove the bails to send Nazmul Islam (7) back. 213/8.

End of Over 45: Bumrah is doing what he does the best, bowling full-length deliveries in death overs, not allowing anything to the batsmen to play with. BAN 202/7. Soumya Sarkar batting on 23 and Nazmul Islam on 1.

42.5 Overs: Mortaza smacks Kuldeep for a six over mid-wicket and loses his cool later in the over. Jumps out and completely misses the line while taking a wild swing. Dhoni gets another stumping, this time a simple one. 196/7

40.5 overs: Dhoni's swift glovework sends Liton Das back after a brilliant knock of 121. Yadav the wicket-taker. Bangladesh 186/6.



End of Over 40: Sarkar (18*) breaks a spell of ones and twos with a SIX over mid-wicket fence off Jadhav, as the Bangladesh innings enters death overs at 178/5.

End of Over 39: Looks like Bangladesh have rightly reassessed the target they had in mind and are now eyeing a late flourish to perhaps cross 250. They are 168/5 now with Liton batting on 109 and Soumya on 10.

End of Over 37: Liton (107* off 100) has slowed down and quite evidently making an effort to bat as deep as he can with the lower-middle order and tailenders to come. 165/5

Drinks Break - BAN 160/5 in 35 overs

End of 34 Overs: Das (106*) continues to hold one end together but it's a Catch-22 situation for him, with wickets continuing to fall at the other end that is now occupied by Soumya Sarkar (2*). 157/5

32.2 Overs: WICKET! Mahmudullah (6) too falls trying to be flamboyant and is taken brilliantly by Bumrah in the deep. 151/5


End of Over 30: From 120/0, Bangladesh lost four wickets in the next 19 runs, and are now 147/4, with Mahmudullah accompanying centurion Das.

28.4 Overs: Century for Liton Das in 87 balls. So he converts his maiden fifty to maiden hundred. Bangladesh 145/4.

End of 28 Overs: Run out! Bangladesh slip further as a brilliant stop by Jadeja results in a mix up leading to Mithun's (2) wicket.

End of 26.5 Overs: The golden arm of Jadhav strikes again as Bangladesh slip further after a brilliant stand. Mushfiqur holes out at deep mid-wicket to Bumrah, as Das (95*) looks on at the other end. 137/3

End of 25 Overs: Bangladesh 133/2 at halfway stage as Mushfiqur gets going with a boundary off Jadhav. Das batting on 92.

23.5 Overs: Another wicket! Umpire raises his finger to an LBW appeal against Kayes (2) facing Chahal. The batsman goes for a review. On-field decision upheld. BAN 128/2

End of Over 23: Das (91*) is into the nineties. Imrul Kayes (2*) partnering him now after the fall of Hasan. BAN 128/1.

20.5 OVERS: OUT! Kedar Jadhav once again proves to be man with the golden arm, as Hasan (32) tries to cut but couldn't keep it down. 120/1.

End of Over 20: It's raining boundaries off Das's (85*) bat now, and Jadeja is at the receiving end with two more boundaries in that over. 116/0

17.5 Overs: 100 up for Bangladesh with another boundary by Das (73*), who cuts Jadeja to the third-man fence. Hasan on 27*. BAN 102/0





End of Over 16: A pull from way back in his crease against Jadeja brings the seventh boundary for Das, as he and Hasan approach century opening stand.

End of Over 15: Kuldeep finishes his third over, but the Bangladesh openers are playing well, trying to sweep or paddle the Indian wrist spinner at every given opportunity. 86/0

End of Over 13: Hasan (19*) and Das (57*) have taken the total to 78/0.

End of Over 11: Fifty for Das with a boundary, off 33 balls, maiden half-century in ODIs, but off the next ball he miscues trying to sweep Jadeja. The skier, though, is dropped by Chahal who back-paddles to get under the ball but to no avail. BAN 74/0,

End of Over 10: Bhuvneshwar is back in the attack and bowls a good one, just a single off it. BAN 65/0 at the end of first Powerplay.



End of Over 8: Swept! SIX! Das (41*) is on a roll here as he takes on Chahal's leg-spin. That follows fifty for Bangladesh, and ANOTHER SIX by Das to end the over that leaked 16 runs. 58/0

End of Over 7: Boundaries continue to flow off Das's (28*) bat as he lifts Bumrah over mid-on for his fourth four. 42/0.

End of Over 5: Consecutive boundaries by Liton Das (22*) disturb Bhuvi's figures. Some superb timing on both the shots - first one a guide through square leg and the next a leg glance. 33/0

End of Over 4: A punch through the covers off Bumrah brings the second boundary for Mehidy Hasan. Bangladesh 25/0.

End of Over 3: Close run-out call for Mehidy but he survives. Bangladesh 13/0

End of Over 2: Mehidy hits first four of the match off Bumrah but not a confident one as the thick outside edge goes past a diving first slip. Bangladesh 8/0

End of Over 1: Good start by Bhuvi as he gives away just three runs from the over. Bangladesh 3/0

Mehidy Hasan and Liton Das are out in the middle to open Bangladesh innings while Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the ball

TOSS

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma wins toss, opts to field against Bangladesh in Dubai

India pick a full strength team for the title clash, bringing back Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shikhar Dhawan and captain Rohit Sharma, who all were rested for the game against Afghanistan.

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah

Nazmul Islam was picked in place of Mominul Haque in the Bangladesh playing eleven

Bangladesh (Playing XI): Liton Das(wk), Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza(c), Nazmul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman

DUBAI: The mood around the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Thursday did not give the sense that it is going to play host to 25,000 fans who will brave the sun and heat to cheer either India or Bangladesh in a big Asia Cup final on Friday. The tournament has been sort of an anti-climax. The day the fixtures were drawn, it seemed the market forces and the caretakers of cricket had designed it to make up for the lack of India-Pakistan bilateral series. Two encounters were ensured but the big one did not happen. In a tournament of underdogs - where Afghanistan gave the big boys a scare - Bangladesh have made it to the final.



READ ALSO: Mushfiqur Rahim sets the middle-order tone for Bangladesh

So, you now have a team focused on retaining its pride as the top-ranked bunch in the tournament, and the other eager to give some happiness to its passionate fans back home. The usual drill ahead of such a final sees teams going through the paces in the practice area, polishing their skills. This time, neither team turned up for practice. Blame it on the heat and humidity and the cruel schedule. The organisers will certainly have to plan the tournament better. Yet, there is a final to be played, a final that has now come thrice for Bangladesh in Asia Cup cricket in the last four editions. A final that could be a game-changer in their cricketing history.

India, save the last edition which was played in T20 format, haven't been able to win the tournament post the 2011 World Cup triumph. Their smooth run here and Bangladesh's toil would make Rohit Sharma's men the favourites. But the Indian players are fighting their own little battles trying to stay in shape in the light of a cramped calendar that keeps them on the road for nearly 85 per cent days of the year.


"We won the Asia Cup the moment Tamim (Iqbal) batted with a fractured thumb in the first match against Sri Lanka," claimed Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza, still recovering from previous night's grind against Pakistan. Their star allrounder has flown back, their crisis man Mushfiqur Rahim is in pain due to an injured rib cage and the captain himself has a dodgy little finger in his bowling arm.

"When you are in such a situation in a battlefield, you either kill or get killed," Mushfiqur gave a peek into the mindset of the Bangladesh team after knocking Pakistan out on Wednesday night. Both Mushfiqur and Mortaza know that the match is billed as a chance for their team to settle scores with India after what happened in the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal, 2016 World T20 and the 2017 Champions Trophy. "They (India) are a far better team. We will fight till the end as we did against Pakistan," Mortaza conceded.


When asked about the growing India-Bangladesh rivalry in white ball cricket, India opener Shikhar Dhawan simply said: "Wasn't there a rivalry before that 2015 match? We are fine off the field." Not playing a final against Pakistan may have taken that extra pressure off the Indians. But Shikhar did have encouraging words for Bangladesh cricket.

"It's been just 18-20 years that they are playing international cricket. The fact they are consistently making the finals is commendable. Hopefully, we will win tomorrow. We could see them crossing that barrier also," he said.

DUBAI: India opener Shikhar Dhawan on Thursday said there was "no shame" in his disastrous run of form in the Tests against England as his plans did not work out despite giving his all.

ALSO READ: Asia Cup Final, IND v BAN - Top players to watch

Dhawan, whose place in the Test team is under threat for the home series against the West Indies, seemed unfazed about a possible axe.

The batsman, who has made a Test comeback in the past on the basis of his stellar showing in white-ball cricket, is back amongst the runs in the ongoing Asia Cup.

"I think it always helps when you perform well (irrespective of the form). Agar fayda hona hoga to ho jayega, nahi hona hoga to nai hoga (will see if my current form helps me in Tests). Whenever I play, red ball or white ball, I utilise whatever knowledge I have of the game," said Dhawan on the eve of the Asia Cup final against Bangladesh here.

"If you talk about the England Test, I did not do well but I gave it all. Others played better than me. I accept it. There is no shame in it. Then I came here to play white-ball cricket, had different plans because of different conditions. Sometimes they (plans) work sometimes they don't," the stylish left-hander said in his defence.

Talking about Friday's final, Dhawan said Bangladesh will pose a stiff challenge even though India beat them comfortably in Super Four.

"Pakistan may be a bigger team on paper but Bangladesh played better cricket than them and are in the final again. They are always tough to beat, especially at home. They are showing by performances they have gotten so much better. They know how to play under pressure.

"They play fearlessly against big teams and you have to appreciate that. Having said that, it takes time (to win major events). For them reaching the final is also a big thing. Hopefully, we will win tomorrow but you will see them crossing the barrier in some other tournament."

Dhawan and Rohit Sharma have provided India solid starts and that is one of the reasons why the side is unbeaten in the tournament.

When asked whether there was extra pressure on the two senior batsmen in the absence of skipper Virat Kohli, the southpaw said: "It was not like that. We felt that we had more responsibility in Virat's absence. It was a tournament where the management could give opportunity to the upcoming players, find out who all are equipped to bat in the middle order.

"That is why we took rest also (against Afghanistan), so that guys who have not spent time in the middle get to do that. Virat around or not, Rohit and I approach every match the same way, with the same effort. There is obviously a lot of difference between England weather and the weather here but we train well to deal with that."

On India-Bangladesh rivalry getting bigger with time, especially after the 2015 series when the latter won at home, Dhawan added: "Well, there was rivalry before that also. There will always be rivalry on the field. Off the field, we are friends but on it we have to do our job."

DUBAI: "I don't want to be fined," said Mahendra Singh Dhoni as umpiring howlers became as much a talking point as Afghanistan's dogged resilience in the exciting tie between the two sides in what was an inconsequential Asia Cup match.

READ ALSO: India-Afghanistan match ends in thrilling tie

Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik were given leg before by the on-field umpires -- Gregory Brathwaite of West Indies and Anisur Rahaman of Bangladesh -- even though TV replays clearly indicated that the ball was missing the stumps in both the cases.

Dhoni was dismissed by part-time off-spinner Javed Ahmadi and the delivery seemed to have gone over stumps while Karthik's dismissal of Mohammed Nabi was bigger blunder as the ball missed the leg stump by a couple of feet.

Kedar Jadhav's run-out was also a case of bad luck as his bat got stuck near the crease while he was dragging it in. India were set a target of 253 and the match ended in a tie after the team was bowled out for 252.

"There were a couple of run-outs, and a few things we can't talk about because I don't want to get fined for it," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation, his irritation quote palpable.

Any public criticism of umpiring decisions invites sanctions from the ICC and Dhoni chose his words very carefully.

However, the stand-in captain was magnanimous in his praise for Afghanistan.

"Their (Afghanistan's) cricket has improved a lot. The way they have continued from the start of the Asia Cup, it is commendable and we have enjoyed their cricket. It is one country that has risen through the ranks very well," Dhoni said.

Dhoni felt that Afghanistan excelled in all departments of the game.

"They batted extremely well too. The wicket slowed down later, but they bowled extremely well throughout the game and their fielding was tight too."

Dhoni was quick to point out that India were not playing their full-strength side also needed to be factored in.

"I wouldn't say we went wrong in the chase. To start off, it was like a handicap in golf. We didn't go with a full-strength side. Not enough spinners on this wicket. The first over that a fast bowler bowls, they need to extract swing. We didn't hit the back of a length area, and we gave away too much initially with the ball."

He praised the Indian openers KL Rahul and Ambati Rayudu for providing a solid start.

"We got off to a very good start with the bat, but the wicket slowed down over the course of the game, so someone should have continued with the bat. Shot-selection is something that we need to work on. It's good that it's a tie, but they played really well.

"The Afghanistan guys played really well. 250 was a very good score on this wicket. We could have been on the losing side because of quite a few things that didn't go for us, so I'm happy with the result."

Centurion Mohammed Shahzad was, however, a bit dejected that Afghanistan couldn't register a victory.

"I'm not very happy, we have slogged for 6 hours at the ground without result, but I am happy with the performance of the team. We have a flight tomorrow, so I thought of playing my game freely.

"I am feeling proud, because I have played an innings like this against the best side in Asia. I haven't played well throughout the tournament, but I am happy that I played well in this one."

Scorecard | Blog: India vs Afghanistan

What a thriller! Needing seven runs off the final over, India scored six off first four balls to level the score. But on the fifth ball, Rashid Khan got the better of Ravindra Jadeja and bowled out India for 252. The result: Match tied.

Overs 49.5: India 252 all out. Match ends in a tie

Overs 49.2: FOUR! Ravindra Jadeja (24*) takes India to 250/9, need two more to win

Overs 49: India 246/9, need 7 more to win. Ravindra Jadeja 20* on the strike for India; Rashid Khan with the ball for Afghanistan. Who will win the contest?

Overs 48.5: OUT! Siddarth Kaul run out for 0. India 245/9, need 8 more to win

Overs 48.1: OUT! Kuldeep Yadav run out for 9. India 242/8, need 11 more to win

Overs 48: India 240/7, need 13 off 12 balls

Another tight over from Rashid Khan, just four runs came off it.

Overs 47: India 236/7, need 17 more to win. Jadeja 13* & Kuldeep 6*

Aftab Alam conceded six in it. The match is still very tight for both the teams.

Overs 46: India 230/7, need 23 more in 24 balls

Mohammad Nabi gave away just four singles in the over and completed his quota of overs with figures of 2/40

Overs 44.5: OUT! Aftab Alam cleans up Deepak Chahar for 12. India 226/7, need 27 more to win

The match is not over yet.

Overs 44: India 223/6, need 30 more to win in 36 balls

Deepak Chahar (11*) hit a four off Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who returned figures of 10-1-43-0, as India scored seven runs in it.

Overs 43: India 216/6, need 37 more to win in 42 balls

Another tight over from Rashid Khan (1/31 in 8 overs), gave away just three singles in it.

Overs 42: India 213/6, need 40 more to win off 48 balls

Overs 40: India 207/6, need 46 more to win. Two new batsmen in the middle for India - Ravindra Jadeja and debutant Deepak Chahar

Overs 39.4: OUT! Big Wicket. Mohammad Nabi strikes to dismiss Dinesh Karthik (44)

Karthik was unlucky. The ball was missing leg. Karthik hit four boundaries in his 66-ball innings.

Overs 38.5: OUT! Unlucky. Kedar Jadhav (19) run out at the non-striker's end. India 204/5

Overs 38: India 202/4, need 51 more to win

Another tight over from Afghanistan spinners. Mohammad Nabi conceded just two runs, including a wide.

Overs 36.2: 200 comes up for India, need 53 more to win (Dinesh Karthik 41* & Kedar Jadhav 18*)

Overs 35: India 190/4, need 63 more to win

Dinesh Karthik 37* and Kedar Jadhav 12* keeping India on course after four wickets at regular intervals. Added 24 for the fifth wicket so far.

Overs 33: India 180/4, need 73 more to win. Dinesh Karthik 31* & Kedar Jadhav 9*

Overs 30.3: OUT! Aftab Alam gets rid of Manish Pandey (8). India 166/4

Can Afghanistan turn around the tide from here on?

Overs 30: India 164/3, need 89 more to win

Overs 27: 150 comes up for India. Dinesh Karthik 19* & Manish Pandey 3*

Overs 25.5: OUT! Big Wicket. Javed Ahmadi strikes to dismiss MS Dhoni (8). India 142/3

Unlucky. The replay shows that the ball was missing the leg stump. But India have no review left, after the unsuccessful challenge by KL Rahul.

Overs 25: At the half-way mark, India 140/2. Need 113 more to win

Overs 23: India 134/2

Two new batsmen for India, skipper MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik are finding it tough to score against Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi. No bounadries in the last three overs.

Overs 20.3: OUT! Big Wicket. Rashid Khan dismisses KL Rahul for 60. India 127/2

KL Rahul hit a six and five fours during his 66-ball knock

Overs 20: India 127/1. KL Rahul 60* & Dinesh Karthik 6*

Overs 17.2: FIFTY for KL Rahul off 55 balls, his 2nd in ODIs. India 111/1

KL Rahul hit a six and four boundaries to reach the landmark.

Overs 17.1: OUT! Mohammad Nabi strikes to dismiss Ambati Rayudu for 57 (49 balls)

Finally a wicket for Afghanistan. Rayudu skied it high and Najibullah Zadran took a good catch at long-on. Rayudu hit four sixes and four boundaries in his quick innings as the openers built a solid foundation for India run chase.

Overs 15.3: FIFTY for Ambati Rayudu off 43 balls, his 8th in ODIs. India 101/0

Overs 15.2: 100 comes up for India in 15.2 overs

Overs 15: India 99/0

Ambati Rayudu (49*) ended the Gulbadin Naib over with a six again as India cruise in their run chase

Overs 14: India 86/0. Ambati Rayudu (42*) & KL Rahul (40*)

Overs 11: India 73/0

Ambati Rayudu (37*) ended the Gulbadin Naib over with a straight six.

Overs 10: India 64/0

This time KL Rahul 30*smacked a six off Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the over.

Overs 9: India 55/0

15 RUNS! Ambati Rayudu finished off the Gulbadin Naib over with a massive six over long-on, after KL Rahul hit two fours in it.

Overs 7: India 37/0

Ambati Rayudu (23*) hit two fours off Aftab Alam as India scored nine in the over.

Overs 5: India 22/0. Just three singles came in the last two overs

Overs 3: India 19/0

Ambati Rayudu hit the first maximum of the chase off Aftab Alam.

Over 1: Good start for India -- 10/1

KL Rahul and Ambati Rayudu start the run chase for India. Aftab Alam with the ball for Afghanistan

Overs 50: Afghanistan set 253-run target for India

Senior batsmen Mohammad Shahzad (124) and Mohammad Nabi (64) score the bulk of the runs as Afghanistan post a competitive 252/8 against India in their final Super Four match of the tournament.

Overs 49: Afghanistan 248/8. Only five runs in the last two overs

Overs 47.3: OUT! Khaleel Ahmed strikes to dismiss Mohammad Nabi for 64. Afghanistan 244/8

Good knock from Nabi, smacked four maximums and three boundaries during his 56-ball 64 innings

Overs 47: 12 RUNS! Afghanistan 243/7

Siddarth Kaul conceded 12 runs in it, including a six

Overs 46: Afghanistan 231/7

Kuldeep Yadav completed his quota of overs, 2/38 in 10 overs

Overs 44.1: OUT! Third wicket for Ravindra Jadeja, Najibullah Zadran gone for 20. Afghanistan 226/7

Zadran added 46 runs for the seventh wicket with Nabi 52*

Overs 43.3: FIFTY for Mohammad Nabi off 45 balls, his 12th in ODIs. Afghanistan 224/6

Nabi smacked three sixes and three fours for his milestone

Overs 42: 17 RUNS! Mohammad Nabi 44* & Najibullah Zadran 15* scored 17 runs off Kuldeep Yadav. Afghanistan 213/6

Overs 41.2: 200 comes up for Afghanistan. Mohammad Nabi 37* & Najibullah Zadran 11*

Overs 40: Afghanistan 189/6. Mohammad Nabi 28* & Najibullah Zadran 7*

Final ten overs, can Afghanistan reach 250 from here on?

Overs 37.5: OUT! Big Wicket. Kedar Jadhav ends Mohammad Shahzad's brilliant innings (124). Afghanistan 180/6

Shahzad hit seven sixes and 11 fours during his 116-ball innings.

Overs 36: Afghanistan 169/5. Mohammad Shahzad 121* -- 14 overs to go, can he score 200 tonight?

Overs 33.5: 150 comes up for Afghanistan. Mohammad Shahzad 115* & Mohammad Nabi 8*

Overs 30: Afghanistan 136/5

Mohammad Shahzad still holding the fort for Afghanistan on 106*

Overs 28.4: OUT! Maiden ODI wicket for Deepak Chahar, dismisses Gulbadin Naib for 15. Afghanistan 132/5

Overs 28.1: HUNDRED for Mohammad Shahzad off 88 balls, his 5th in ODIs. Afghanistan 131/4

Overs 27: Afghanistan 126/4. Mohammad Shahzad 98*, Gulbadin Naib 15*

Overs 25: At the half-way mark, Afghanistan 117/4

Overs 24: Afghanistan 114/4. Mohammad Shahzad 96*, Gulbadin Naib 5*

Overs 22: Afghanistan 111/4

Kuldeep Yadav gave away just one single in it. The spinner's figures so far: 5-0-7-2

Overs 20.3: NOT OUT! Successful review by Mohammad Shahzad (93*). Umpire has to change his decision of caught behind. Afghanistan 109/4

Overs 19: 100 comes up for Afghanistan.

Mohammad Shahzad is holding the fort for the Afghans, scoring 86 off 68 balls.

Overs 15.3: OUT! Two in two for Kuldeep Yadav, cleans up Asghar Afghan (0). Afghanistan 82/4

Afghanistan have lost four wickets in the last three overs as India claw back in the game. Mohammad Shahzad is the one man standing for Afghanistan in the middle.

Overs 15.2: OUT! Another brilliant stumping by skipper MS Dhoni. Kuldeep Yadav scalps Hashmatullah Shahidi (0). Afghanistan 82/3

Overs 14.4: OUT! Ravindra Jadeja strikes again, scalps Rahmat Shah (3). Afghanistan 81/2

Overs 14: Afghanistan 75/1

Overs 12.4: OUT! Ravindra Jadeja strikes to dismiss Javed Ahmadi (5) . Afghanistan 65/1

First breakthrough for India

Overs 10: After the first Powerplay overs, Afghanistan 63/0

Overs 8.5: FIFTY for Mohammad Shahzad off 37 balls, his 14th in ODIs. Afghanistan 57/0

Overs 8: Ravindra Jadeja started with a maiden over. Afghanistan 48/0

Overs 5: MAIDEN OVER! Superb over from Khaleel Ahmed. Afghanistan 35/0

Overs 4: 17 RUNS! Mohammad Shahzad scored 17 runs off debutant Deepak Chahar. Afghanistan 35/0

Overs 2: Afghanistan 13/0

Over 1: Afghanistan 6/0

Mohammad Shahzad and Javed Ahmadi start the Afghanistan innings. Khaleel Ahmed with the ball for India

Playing XIs:

India: MS Dhoni (captain), KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddhart Kaul

Afghanistan: Asghar Afghan (captain), Mohammad Shahzad, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Aftab Alam, Ihsanullah Janat

TOSS: Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan won the toss and opted to bat

The match is inconsequential as title holders India have already qualified for the final to be played in Dubai on Friday while Afghanistan are out of contention. The second finalist will be decided in the last Super Four game between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

India have rested skipper Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal with Mahendra Singh Dhoni taking over as captain and leading he team for the 200th time in a one-day international. Afghanistan included Najibullah Zadran for Samiullah Shinwari.

DUBAI: The Indian cricket team will hope that its untested middle-order gets some game time ahead of the grand finale when it takes on an ever-improving Afghanistan in the final 'Super Four' encounter of the Asia Cup on Tuesday.

India have been on a roll after an unimpressive start against Hong Kong, with couple of one-sided victories over arch-rivals Pakistan and an equally facile one against Bangladesh.

With a spot in Friday's final sealed, skipper Rohit Sharma may want some of his untested middle-order batsmen to get quality time in the middle against someone of Rashid Khan's calibre.

Often in cricket, the 'Law of Averages' catches up with the best performing teams at a critical juncture.

Shikhar Dhawan (327) and skipper Rohit (269) have done the bulk of the scoring in the four matches so far with very little contribution being required from the other batsmen in the line-up.

The next highest scorer is Ambati Rayudu (116 runs) because he comes in at No 3.

The problem has been lack of batting time for the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav and Dinesh Karthik so far.

Sample this: Rohit and Shikhar have so far faced 284 and 321 deliveries respectively. The next best Rayudu has played 162 balls.

However, Karthik (78 balls), Dhoni (40 balls) and Kedar (27 balls) can be found wanting if there is a top-order collapse on the big day.

Rohit had given Dhoni an opportunity to come in at No 4 against Bangladesh and the former captain scored 33 runs. But it was a pressure-free situation.

Dhoni's achilles heel of late has been to keep the scoreboard ticking in pressure situations that the middle-overs throw up.

If the likes of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb ur Rahman can put pressure, it will be a good warm-up for the middle-order trio before the final match.

The Indian captain might fancy batting first in case he wins the toss, which in turn will give his team a chance to bat 50 overs instead of chasing another modest total.

The Indian bowlers have been splendid on the slow Dubai International Stadium track with all the bowlers enjoying an economy rate of less than five runs per over.

The spinners have been on a roll with Yuzvendra Chahal (5 wickets at 4.61 runs per over) and Kuldeep Yadav (5 wickets in 4.01 runs per over) have been tight as usual while Jasprit Bumrah (7 wickets with 3.37 runs per over) has been exceptional at the death with his yorkers.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (6 wickets at 4.08 per over), in his comeback tournament, has also been consistent.

There is a possibility that India might rest both Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah before the summit clash to help them recharge their batteries.

In such a scenario, two among Deepak Chahar, Siddharth Kaul and Khaleel Ahmed will take their spots in the playing XI for the game.

For Afghanistan, a win against the fancied Indian side will be a great end to the tournament where they have been competitive throughout, only losing out due to lack of experience.

Having packed off Sri Lanka in the group league stage and crushed Bangladesh, Afghanistan were done in by inexperience during the fag end of the Super Four matches against Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Against Pakistan, their bowlers couldn't hold nerve in the final over while their batsmen found it difficult to read Mustafizur Rahman's variations in the final over.

Squads

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Siddharth Kaul, Manish Pandey

Afghanistan: Mohammad Shahzad, Ihsanulluah Jamat, Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Stanikzai, Hasmat Shahidi, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Najibullah Zadran, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Aftab Alam, Samiullah Shenwari, Munir Ahmed, Sayed Ahmed Sherzad, Ashraf, Momand Wafadar.

Match starts 5pm (IST).

DUBAI: Seldom does the crowd here in Dubai hang back for the entire length of a one-sided match. At least, that has been the trend in the ongoing Asia Cup. But a free-flowing Rohit Sharma and a hard-hitting Shikhar Dhawan can compel even the most disinterested person to drool over their batting.

Scorecard | BLOG: India vs Pakistan

Sunday was one such evening, there was a show on. The crowd had expected a sterner fight from Pakistan in Round Two of the rivalry. There was some fight when Shoaib Malik shepherded Pakistan to 237/7. All of that evaporated when Rohit and Dhawan owned the stage under lights for the third time in a row. The duo, wielding their willow like a dagger, ripped apart the Pakistan attack. The job was clinically done in 39.3 overs with nine wickets in hand.

ALSO READ: Rohit, Shikhar become India's 2nd most successful opening pair in ODIs

As Dhawan and Rohit brought up their 15th and 19th ODI centuries, there was a loud proclamation of being the best opening pair going around in ODI cricket. Dhawan was run out for 114 off 100 balls as Rohit, unbeaten on 111 off 119 balls, had Ambati Rayudu with him when they crossed the line and put a foot in the final.

The nine-wicket victory is the biggest win for India against arch-rivals Pakistan in ODIs.

During the course of the 210-run partnership, another thing was reiterated: Pakistan is a team that could be sublime and sub-standard in the same match. Malik's pacing of his innings 90-ball 78 was a near-perfect one-day innings on a pitch that seemed like throwing off desert sand when the ball landed in the afternoon heat.

Yet, the three dropped catches off Rohit's bat and inconsistent, ill-planned bowling undid all the hard work done by Malik which seemed to have given a strong chance to defend the total on what seemed a sluggish pitch.

Pakistan was all about emotion. They decided again to bat first despite knowing the conditions favour the batsmen batting second. They brought back an off-colour Mohammad Amir, hoping he could disturb the mindset of the Indian batting. Imam-ul-Haq had claimed the momentum was with them after a thrilling finish against Afghanistan. All of that backfired.

Amir's aggression was overhauled by the authority of Dhawan. Like they always do, the Pakistani bowlers came out charging and banging the ball hard on the pitch. But most landed on the shorter side - all that the duo needed on a slow pitch. Dhawan and Rohit unleashed their disdainful cuts, pulls and hooks. And when the bowlers did pitch it up, they were piercing the in-field with utmost authority.

Imam had feared the consequences of a strong Indian opening partnership. That came true. The bowlers erred in their desperation to hit the Indian openers hard.

Dhawan and Rohit were not going to let their bowling down, as they have done right through the tournament. The Indian bowlers look like following a script - the two opening pacers stifling the top-order with their unwavering line and length and then the spinners coming in to chip away at the middle-order.

Rohit and Dhawan may run away with all the glamour on the night, but their free-flowing batting has much to do with how the bowlers have performed in the first of the match. Jasprit Bumrah's 2/29, Yuzvendra Chahal's 2/46 and Kuldeep Yadav's 2/41 is testimony to a well-coordinated attack. The openers and the bowlers have so far shielded the middle-order from any pressure. India wouldn't mind it for now.

Scorecrad | Live Blog: India vs Pakistan

Overs 4: Cautious start from Pakistan -- 12/0

Overs 2: Jasprit Bumrah bowls a maiden over to keep Pakistan 7/0.

Over 1: Pakistan collect seven runs from the first over with the help of four leg byes. Zaman survives a direct hit by Chahal on the first delivery.

Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq are out in the middle to open Pakistan batting. Bhuvneshwar Kumar will open the proceedings for India.

TOSS: Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed wins toss, elects to bat against India in Super Four match at Dubai

India retain the same playing eleven while Pakistan make two changes bringing in Mohammad Amir and Shadab Khan in place of Haris Sohail and Usman Khan.

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w), Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal

Pakistan (Playing XI): Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed(w/c), Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi

PREVIEW

Favourites India have no grounds for complacency as they wait to see 'which' Pakistan turns up in the Asia Cup here Sunday, well aware of the unpredictable arch-rivals' penchant for surprising not just opponents but themselves, too.

India are eyeing a place in the final after three wins in as many matches, while Pakistan will look to step up their game in the Super Four match, after a scare against Afghanistan.

India walloped Pakistan by eight wickets in the group game three days ago but if history is any indication, the Men in Blue will take their traditional rivals lightly at their own peril.

After being made to work hard by minnows Hong Kong in their tournament opener, India got their act together in the much-awaited group game against Pakistan and produced a clinical display to make short work of Sarfraz Ahmed's team.

Chasing a small target, India were hardly tested as a half-century from skipper Rohit Sharma ensured that the team was home with as many as 21 overs to spare.

DUBAI: Favourites India have no grounds for complacency as they wait to see 'which' Pakistan turns up in the Asia Cup here on Sunday, well aware of the unpredictable arch-rivals' penchant for surprising not just opponents but themselves, too.

India are eyeing a place in the final after three wins in as many matches, while Pakistan will look to step up their game in the Super Four match, after a scare against Afghanistan.

READ ALSO: Hope to repeat our performance against Pakistan: Rohit Sharma

India walloped Pakistan by eight wickets in the group game three days ago but if history is any indication, the Men in Blue will take their traditional rivals lightly at their own peril.

After being made to work hard by minnows Hong Kong in their tournament opener, India got their act together in the much-awaited group game against Pakistan and produced a clinical display to make short work of Sarfraz Ahmed's team.

Chasing a small target, India were hardly tested as a half-century from skipper Rohit Sharma ensured that the team was home with as many as 21 overs to spare.

Even without their talismanic captain Virat Kohli, the Indian batting looked formidable and lived up to the billing by scoring freely on surfaces that are not really perfect for stroke-play.

Opening the innings, Rohit was at his fluent best against Pakistan and followed that up with another fine knock of 83 in the seven-wicket win over Bangladesh, more than making up for the failure against Hong Kong.

Rohit's opening partner, Shikhar Dhawan found himself amongst the runs after a torrid time in England's seaming conditions, scoring in all three matches, including a century against Hong Kong.

The middle-order duo of Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik will again look to grab the opportunity with both hands by making useful contributions in the big game.

Rayudu missed out against Bangladesh after making an unbeaten 31 in the group game against Pakistan.

Veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni managed to spend some time in the middle on Friday, remaining unbeaten on 33 off 37 balls. Then there is Kedar Jadhav, who has often proved his worth with the bat besides his bowling.

Coming back to the ODI side after more than a year, Ravindra Jadeja marked the occasion with a fine four-wicket haul against Bangladesh, and he seemed hungry for more. Pakistan will be wary of the threat posed by the left-arm spinner, who is also a handy bat lower down the order.

India will look to the pace duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah to make the initial breakthroughs and put Pakistan on the backfoot before the spinners are introduced.

Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav are the two mainline spinners, but it was Kedar, who picked up the most number of wickets among the slow bowlers in the last game against Pakistan.

Pakistan will look up to their seasoned campaigner Shoaib Malik for inspiration. All-rounder Malik made 43 against India and saved his team the blushes with a crucial knock against a spirited Afghanistan Friday night.

Opener Fakhar Zaman, who made a name for himself with a match-winning hundred against India in the final of Champions Trophy last year, flopped in their first game here.

Fakhar will look to make amends and so will be the likes of batsmen Babar Azam, Sarfraz and Iman-ul-Haq.

Pakistan's another cause of concern is the form of their strike bowler Mohammad Aamir, who has not been among the wickets in recent time.

While the left-arm pacer failed to deliver against India in the group game, he was not played against Afghanistan. The likes of Hasan Ali and Usman Khan will have to step up their game if their team is to do well.

Teams (From):

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddharth Kaul, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Shan Masood, Sarfraz Ahmed(captain), Shoaib Malik, Haris Sohail, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan, Usman Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Asif Ali, Mohammad Amir.

DUBAI: Hailing his team's "clinical performance" against Bangladesh, India skipper Rohit Sharma says they would look to replicate the show in Sunday's Super Four Asia Cup match against arch-rivals Pakistan.

READ ALSO: Rohit, Jadeja fashion India's seven-wicket win over Bangladesh

Rohit played another classy knock after comeback man Ravindra Jadeja picked up a four-wicket haul to set up a seven-wicket win in their opening Super Four match on Friday.

"It was a clinical performance from the start. We bowled very well and we always knew it was going to be better batting under the lights. Very good from everyone. It was important on a pitch like that to rotate the bowlers and now allow the batsmen to settle," Rohit said at the presentation ceremony.

India bowled out Bangladesh, who batted first, for a paltry 173, and then chased down the target with plenty to spare.

READ ALSO: Malik thwarts giantkillers Afghanistan in last over finish

India's bowling show was led by left-arm spinner Jadeja, who was making a comeback to the one-day team after more than a year.

"We wanted to rotate the bowlers in shorter spells. It was a challenge for us, but I think they responded well. We always knew if we stuck to tight lines, the wickets would come."

"Jadeja, playing an ODI after a long time, to come out and bowl like that was a great effort from him. Great effort from everyone, I don't want to single out anyone," said Rohit, who scored an unbeaten 83.

India next play against traditional rivals Pakistan, having already beaten them in the group stage.

Rohit said, "When everything goes to plan, it looks easy. We will go back and recover and come back fresh against Pakistan and try to replicate this performance."

Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza urged his batsmen to shoulder more responsibility.

"From the start we kept losing wickets. Today we were just all over the place," Mortaza said.

"If you score 170, it's a difficult ask of the bowlers. The batsmen need to take responsibility, especially after failing to score in back-to-back matches.

"The next match is against a tough team with good bowlers. We need to bat well."

Bangladesh batsmen faltered again, having come a cropper in the run chase against Afghanistan on Thursday night.

However, India were hardly troubled in the chase after Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan (40 off 47) provided a solid start with a 61-run stand.

Dhawan, like in the game against Pakistan, looked in good touch but was not able play a long innings.

Rohit changed gears after Dhawan's departure, bringing up his 36th ODI fifty with a towering hit off Shakib Al Hasan over deep mid-wicket.

Scorecard | Live Blog: India vs Bangladesh

Over 32: 13 runs from the over as India 159/2 inching closer towards victory

OVER 31.2: MS Dhoni hits a four to bring up 150 for India in chase of 174

Over 30: Rohit is in real hurry to finish off the chase as he hits a boundary off Rubel. India 142/2

Over 29: Team India is on the course of victory. Mustafizur gives away five runs. India 135/2

Over 28: Dhoni slashes one hard to get the boundary. India 130/2 in chase of 174

Over 27: Three runs from the over as India need 51 runs off 23 overs

Over 25: Rohit slams a Shakib half-tracker over the ropes for his third six of the match. India 117/2

Over 23.6: OUT! Rubel Hossain strikes to dismiss Ambati Rayudu for 13. India 106/2

Over 23: Eight runs from the over. India 105/1 in chase of 174

Over 22.4: Rohit brings up his 36th fifty with a six as India cross 100-run mark

Over 20: Rohit hits two classy boundaries off Mehidy. India 89/1 in chase of 174

Over 19: One run from the over as Shakib exhibits some great art of spin. India 79/1

Over 17: Rohit goes over mid-wicket for a huge six off Shakib. India 75/1

Over 15: Two runs and a wicket from Shakib. India 63/1

Over 14.2: OUT! Shakib Al Hasan strikes to trap Dhawan (40). India 61/1 in chase of 174

Over 13: Fours runs off Shakib over. India 58/0 in chase of 174

50 up for India in 9.3 overs in chase of 174. Dhawan 34* and Rohit 16*

Over 9: Dhawan hits two boundaries off Mustafizur to keep the scoring rate. India 49/0

Over 8: Tight bowling by Mehidy who gives away only three runs. India 37/0 in chase of 174

Over 5: Dhawan hits Mustafizur for a six. India 27/0

Over 3: Dhawan frees his arms as he whacks back-to-back fours off Mortaza. India 15/0

Over 2: Good over as just three runs come from it. India 7/0 in chase of 174

Spin comes into the attack in the form of Mehidy Hasan

Over 1: Rohit opens his account with a striking four. India 4/0 in chase of 174

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have come out to chase 174 for India while Mashrafe Mortaza opens bowling for Bangladesh

Ravindra Jadeja picks up 4/29 as India bundle out Bangladesh for 173

Jadeja made a roaring return to limited overs cricket with a four-wicket haul, helping India dismiss Bangladesh for 173 in a Super Four match of the Asia Cup. The all-rounder, playing his first ODI since July 2017, broke the backbone of Bangladesh batting with his left-arm spin and ended with impressive figures of four for 29 in 10 overs.

Over 49.1: OUT! That's it Bumrah dismisses Mustafizur as India bowl out Bangladesh for 173

Over 47.2: OUT! Jasprit Bumrah strikes to get rid of Mehidy Hasan (42). Bangladesh 169/9

Over 46.3: OUT! Mortaza gone for 26 after hitting successive sixes off Bhuvneshwar. Bangladesh 167/8

Over 44.5: Much needed 50-run partnership for the 8th wicket between Mehidy Hasan 39* and Mashrafe Mortaza 11*. Bangladesh 151/7

Over 43: Mehidy goes over covers for a boundary off Chahal. Bangladesh 144/7

Over 42: Just one run and its another tight over from Bhuvneshwar. Bangladesh 133/7

Over 40: Mehidy goes for a biggie, hits Chahal for a six. Bangladesh 128/7

Over 39: Tidy over from Kuldeep who gives away just one run. Bangladesh 121/7

Over 36: New batsman Mehidy Hasan hits two fours off Bumrah. Bangladesh 115/7

Over 33.2: OUT! Fourth wicket for Jadeja. Mosaddek gone for 12. Bangladesh 101/7

Over 32.5: OUT! Bhuvneshwar traps Mahmudullah (25) to pick his second. Bangladesh 101/6

Over 32: 100 up for Bangladesh for the loss of five wickets. Mahmudullah

Over 31: Finally back-to-back boundaries from Mahmudullah off Kuldeep eases some pressure. Bangladesh 99/5

Over 30: Three runs from it as India keep the stranglehold. Bangladesh 90/5

Over 29: Skipper Rohit walks off the field after the end of the over and now Shikhar will lead the side

Over 27: Another good over by Kuldeep Yadav. Just three runs from it. Bangladesh 83/5




Overs 25: At the half-way mark, Bangladesh 78/5. Mahmudullah 11* & Mosaddek Hossain 3*

Overs 22: Another good over from Ravindra Jadeja, gives away just two singles. Bangladesh 74/5

Overs 20: Bangladesh 67/5


Overs 18: OUT! Big wicket. Third for Ravindra Jadeja, Mushfiqur Rahim gone for 21. Bangladesh 65/5

Overs 16.2: NOT OUT! Mushfiqur Rahim survives a stumping appeal. Bangladesh 60/4

Overs 15.4: OUT! Second wicket for Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Mithun gone for 9. Bangladesh 60/4

Overs 15: Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun take Bangladesh to 59/3

Overs 12.2: 50 comes up for Bangladesh

Overs 10: After first Powerplay, struggling Bangladesh reach 44/3

Overs: 9.4: OUT! Ravindra Jadeja strikes in his first over to dismiss Shakib Al Hasan (17). Bangladesh 42/3

Shakib Al Hasan hit it straight to Shikhar Dhawan at square leg, after scoring back-to-back boundaries in the previous two balls off Ravindra Jadeja. Reckless shot from the senior pro.

Overs 9: Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim score five singles off Yuzvendra Chahal's first over. Bangladesh 31/2



Overs 7: MAIDEN OVER! Bhuvneshwar Kumar tightens the screw as Bangladesh batsmen struggle to score. Score: 21/2

Overs 5.1: OUT! Jasprit Bumrah joins the party, dismisses Nazmul Hossain for 7. Bangladesh 16/2

Overs 4.3: OUT! Bhuvneshwar Kumar strikes early, scalps Liton Das for 7. Bangladesh 15/1

Overs 3.4: FOUR! First boundary for Bangladesh from the bat of Liton Das off Jasprit Bumrah. Score: 14/0

Overs 2: Cautious start for Bangladesh, 5/0
After four runs over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah gave away just one leg-bye in the second over. Discipline start by India pacers.

Liton Das and Nazmul Hossain Shanto start the Bangladesh innings. Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the ball for India

*Time for National Anthems

TOSS | India captain Rohit Sharma wins toss and opts to bowl against Bangladesh in Super Four match

Playing XIs

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (w), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal

Bangladesh: Liton Das (w), Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza (c), Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch Report

"It is a fresh pitch. There is hardly any grass. It looks an even wicket. There are cracks but usually they don't come into play. It is not a pitch where you can blast. You have to accumulate runs on this pitch. 250 will be a good score." - Russel Arnold

NEW DELHI: Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli obtained 'zero' points while reigning world champion weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu earned 44 points on way to being named for this year's Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna by the 11-member selection panel.

READ ALSO: Virat Kohli, Mirabai Chanu to receive Khel Ratna

While Kohli's performance sheet had no points because no criteria has been set for cricket, according to documents with TOI, there were at least six other Khel Ratna aspirants who totalled more points than Chanu. Wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, who totalled 80 points each, scored the highest points based on their achievements, yet it was a show of hands that ultimately decided that the Indian Test captain and Mirabai (who edged out shuttler Kidambi Srikanth) would receive India's highest sports award this year.





After a meeting with the sports minister on Thursday, Punia told TOI he would move court on Friday against his name being overlooked for the award despite having the highest performance points.

The document, which breaks down the total points awarded based on achievements for 17 sportspersons shortlisted for the 2018 award, had para-athlete Deepa Malik behind Punia and Phogat with 78.4 points, followed by table tennis player Manika Batra (65), boxer Vikas Krishan (52) and archer Abhishek Verma (55.3).

There's no points system for cricket, which is not an Olympic sport. Often, cricketers are selected through consensus, leaving scope for controversy. A committee member confessed to TOI that there was a debate over how the performance of Kohli (whose name had been rejected in 2016 and 2017) should be judged since the points system has been framed keeping in mind performances in Olympic and international tournaments.


'What's the use of points?'

"When Kohli's name came up for discussion, it was decided to pick him through a show of hands in the absence of a points system for cricket," a member said. "Eight out of the 11 members supported Kohli's candidature and that's how his name was recommended," he added.

"In the case of Mirabai and Srikanth, the same process was followed. Seven members raised their hands for Mirabai and six in favour of Srikanth. So, Mirabai became the second recommendation. There was a further debate on Srikanth's inclusion and an internal voting also took place. But, opinion remained divided on his name, and only Kohli and Mirabai's names were recommended. Bajrang and Vinesh's names too came up for discussion, but they weren't considered for the award," the member added.

Interestingly, the committee can award discretionary points (up to 20) to a sportsperson over and above the points given for achievements in Olympics, world championships, Asian and Commonwealth Games.

Out of the 17 applicants, the committee shortlisted 11 and awarded them points - Chanu (19), Kohli (18.5), Srikanth (18), Vinesh (13), Rohan Bopanna (12), Bajrang Punia (12), Neeraj Chopra (15), Deepa Malik (12), Vikas Krishan (14), Manika Batra (13) and para-wrestler Virender Singh (12). It still left Mirabai with 63 (44+19) points, Punia with 92 (80+12), Phogat at 93 (80+13), Malik at 90.4 (78.4+12), Batra at 78 (65+13) and Vikas at 66 (52+14) points.

On Thursday, Punia, the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and Jakarta Asian Games gold medallist, told TOI that he would move court on Friday after being snubbed for the award. Punia's contention was simple: The committee awarded him the highest score, but he was still ignored for the country's highest sporting award. "I want to ask them (committee members) a simple question: 'What's the use of having a points system in place when you don't adhere to it?'" he asked.

"If the members want to ignore my credentials despite it being amply visible that Vinesh and I have accumulated the maximum points, then what option do I have other than moving court?" Bajrang said. "I have immense respect for Kohli and Mirabai. They are two champion sportspersons, but if I look at my credentials and that of Mirabai, there is no comparison. You gave her the award, give it to me as well, it's simple," he added.

Bajrang later met sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore to plead his case. "I only got assurances from the minister but I won't wait until next year," he told TOI.

This year's Khel Ratna and Arjuna committee was headed by a retired Delhi high court judge, Justice Indermeet Kaul Kochhar, and had former sportspersons Ashwini Nachappa, Kamlesh Mehta, Samresh Jung and Vimal Kumar as members, among others. Marking for Punia's achievements was done based on his silver medal at 2014 Glasgow CWG (20 points), silver in 2014 Incheon Asiad (25 points), gold in Gold Coast CWG (25 points) and gold in Jakarta Asiad (30 points), taking his total 'score obtained' to 100 points. The 'converted score' (final points) awarded by the committee came up to 80 points.

In Mirabai's case, three of her performances were considered for the recommendation - silver in Glasgow CWG (20 points), gold at 2017 Las Vegas Worlds which is held every year (10 points) and Gold Coast CWG gold (25 points), totalling 55 points. The committee's converted score was 44 points. Vinesh also had 100 points and her 'converted score' came to 80 points. Her Glasgow gold (25), Incheon bronze (20), Gold Coast CWG gold (25) and Jakarta Asiad gold (30) were taken into consideration.