India v Pakistan as it happened: India canter to nine-wicket win

Four days apart and it is the same stadium and same story for India as they canter to an one-sided win over Pakistan. Pakistan's 237-7 had looked as if it would possibly cause India some headaches, but openers Shikhar Dhawan (114) and captain Rohit Sharma (111 not out) have seen India home on 236-1 with 63 balls to spare. The result, given India's net run rate, all but guarantees them a spot in the final next Friday. Pakistan must beat Bangladesh on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi to clinch their spot. Given how much Pakistan's bowlers have had to toil tonight it was inevitable that the first India wicket would come through a run out. It is Shikhar Dhawan who is short of his ground to end an opening stand of 210. Rohit Sharma is still there, inching towards his hundred on 98 not out. India now 214-1 needing another 24 runs and with 15 overs to get them. The most interesting part to this one-sided affair was who was going to get to their hundred first - captain Rohit Sharma or Shikhar Dhawan? It is Dhawan who wins that duel as he reaches three figures of 94 balls with a boundary off Shaheen Afridi. He then hits a six two balls later to bring up the double hundred partnership between him and Sharma, who is 95 not out. 210-0 with 17 overs to go, if needed, and just 28 runs needed. This has been a hammering for Pakistan. ___________ Pakistan's 237-7 did look under par, but India are making it look very under par. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma have put on a hundred for the opening wicket and the defending champions are 107-0 after 20 overs. Pakistan's bowlers have struggled to keep things tight with 13 boundaries and one six being struck by India's opening pair so far. 131 to go in 30 overs. It will be some collapse for India not to win from here. Pakistan needed a good start. And they have not got it. India are motoring along at five an over at present and have reached the 10-over mark at 53-0, needing 185 more off 40 overs. Shikhar Dhawan has struck 34 off 33 balls with six boundaries, and he has been well supported by captain Rohit Sharma on 18. This game is going away from Pakistan quickly and they need some wickets, and fast. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have begun India's run chase. They are chasing 238 and Sharma's hits two off the second ball to start things off well for an Indian side looking for their fourth successive win in the competition. Pakistan need early wickets to put pressure on their opponents, but India are 6-0 after the first over. It should be an intriguing next few hours. Elsewhere in Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan need 250 to beat Bangladesh and they will start their innings shortly. Bumrah takes his second wicket of the match, as he sends Shadab Khan back to the pavilion. Accurate as ever at the death, the paceman keeps the ball straight. Shadab swings hard, misses and gets an inside edge onto the back pad before it deflects onto the stumps. Pakistan finish on 237-7 in their allotted 50 overs. _______________ Chahal gets another wicket - his 50th in one-day internationals - as he dismisses Asif Ali for 30. Asif goes for a slog and misses the line after failing to read the googly. Pakistan are 211-6. _______________ Malik is finally out for 78 after nudging a Jasprit Bumrah delivery to wicketkeeper MS Dhoni. Malik walks off despite a doubt as to whether he had edged the ball, supposedly to fine leg, only for it to settle in Dhoni's gloves. Fast bowler Bumrah gets his first wicket, and Pakistan are 210-5. _______________ Captain Sarfraz is out for 44, caught by opposite number Rohit Sharma off the bowling of Kuldeep. That is the southpaw's second wicket. Pakistan 165-4. _______________ Pakistan duo of Malik and Sarfraz have now put together more than a 100-run partnership. Add to that, the former has scored another half-century - the 43rd of his one-day international career. If he can bat through the innings, a century is certainly in the offing. Even more crucially, Pakistan may then be able to set up a winning total. With a little more than 10 overs to go, it will be the most crucial part of their innings. _______________ At 58-3 it was looking dicey for Pakistan. But Shoaib Malik (48 not out) and Sarfraz Ahmed (34 not out) have stabilised the innings. They have so far put on 80 in an unbroken stand for the fourth wicket. With 16 overs to go, Pakistan are 138-3 and they will hope to kick on from here and post a score strongly in excess of 250 to put India under pressure. _______________ Babar Azam has been run out for nine. A combined effort from Chahal and Jadeja as Pakistan reeling now at 58-3. _______________ India's wrist spinners at it again! This time left-arm leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav strikes, taking the wicket of Fakhar Zaman for 31. Interestingly, out comes the captain. Sarfraz Ahmed has promoted himself up the order. Expect Pakistan to up the ante here. _______________ Imam-ul-Haq has been dismissed for 10 after being trapped leg before wicket by leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. But despite the setback, Imam and fellow opener Fakhar Zaman had made a slow but steady start to the Pakistan innings. Zaman, in particular, has not scored a lot of runs in this tournament and is finding his way back into form. Their run-rate is only around 3, which is not the problem for Pakistan - but losing wickets. They threw away their wickets in the group game against the Old Enemy, which led to their dismissal for a paltry 162. It is a total India overhauled with little trouble. _______________ Pakistan XI: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Asif Ali, M Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Mohammed Amir, Shaheen Afridi India XI: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah _______________ It did not work on Wednesday but Pakistan are going to bat first against India in Dubai in their Super Four match. Pakistan never recovered from a poor start after choosing to bat on Wednesday in the group stages, slipping to 3-2, and it will be crucial that they do not lose early wickets here. Elsewhere, Bangladesh have won the toss and will bat in Abu Dhabi against Afghanistan in the day's other game. Both matches begin at 3.30pm. _______________ The last time these two teams played in the United Arab Emirates - last Wednesday - it ended up being a one-sided game. But there have been many an exciting encounter between cricket's biggest rivals when it was staged in Sharjah over the years. Click here to take a look at a list Paul Radley put together of his favourites matches. You can even watch a video of the games he talks about below. ____________ Team India look fairly relaxed as they make their way to the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. ____________ Two cricketers share their birthday today - one current player and the other former. One is Indian, the other is Pakistani. Sure, it is already a special day for both men. But who is likely to see a happy ending to tonight's match? ____________ India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja looks all but certain to play against Pakistan after taking four Bangladesh wickets with his left-arm spin in his first one-day international in more than a year. But like Chitrabhanu Kadalayil points out: who do India drop should they decide to pick a third seamer in the XI? Maybe one of the other two spinners - Kuldeep Yadav or Yuzvendra Chahal - can make way for Shardul Thakur or Khaleel Ahmed? You can read this and other talking points ahead of the game here . Meanwhile, Jadeja is tempted to get a haircut and sport a new look yet again. Apparently his neck hurts from all the celebrating he does after taking a wicket ... and he wants to lighten the load. Check out his video below. It doesn't matter that you don't understand Hindi - his action is self-explanatory. ____________ Pakistan’s fast bowlers have to fire out India’s in-form openers early if their side are to succeed on Sunday. That is the view of Imam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan opener, who says his side's morale has been lifted by their thrilling last-over win against Afghanistan last time out. To read this piece by our man at the stadium Paul Radley , click here . ____________ Good morning! Welcome to updates from the second Asia Cup game between India and Pakistan. This is one of cricket's greatest match-ups set to play out the latest chapter in their rivalry in the UAE. The Dubai International Cricket Stadium can expect another full house, after what was a successfully-staged Group A encounter between the neighbours. India won that game, played last Wednesday, by eight wickets. But it is time for the teams to take fresh guard for their second Super Four match, after they won their respective first matches at the weekend. India crushed Bangladesh , while Pakistan narrowly edged past Afghanistan . __________ __________ Play starts at 3.30pm UAE time and we will keep you updated on all the developments during the day from the action in Dubai, with fans already beginning to arrive at the stadium. Pakistan will likely start slight underdogs given their big defeat on Wednesday. But then they had started that game as favourites, so who knows what happens today. Such is the nature of these encounters. Stay with us more preview and colour as the countdown to India v Pakistan gets closer. ____________ Read more: Explainer: India v Pakistan – all you need to know about the Asia Cup clash India v Pakistan: Classic moments from matches in UAE India v Pakistan in UAE: By the numbers

India v Pakistan as it happened: India canter to nine-wicket win

Arch-rivals clash again in emirate - this time at Super Four stage of continental championship being held in UAE