IND A vs PAK A: Riyan Parag’s double whammy deflects Pakistan’s momentum in Men's Emerging Asia Cup 2023 Final

After a brilliant start, Pakistan lost a bit of momentum in the middle overs as Riyan Parag picked up two quick wickets in the finals of the ACC Mens Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 Final against Pakistan. Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan looked fantastic in the middle as their opening partnership of 121 runs set the tone of the match. However, both the openers lost their wickets in quick succession and that’s when Pakistan felt a bit of pressure.

It further escalated when Omair Yousif and Qasim Akram walked back to the pavilion. Riyan Parag, who has faced a lot of criticism for his poor performance in the Indian Premier League gave India some much-needed momentum. Sooner than later Nishant Sandhu picked up the wicket of Pakistan skipper Mohammad Haris and with that, Pakistan looked in deep trouble.

Tayyab Tahir rescues Pakistan

After losing four wickets in rather quick succession, Pakistan needed something special in the middle in order to overcome the misery. They didn’t let Indian bowlers get the advantage as the middle-order batter, Tayyab Tahir, played some phenomenal shots to bring his team back into the contest. Indian skipper Yash Dhull too made some bold decisions, which looked pretty questionable as despite leaking a lot of runs, the youngster backed Yuvrajsinh Dodiya, which eventually backfired.

Tahir looked in a different mood as he built an excellent 100+ run partnership with Mubasir Khan. He completed his century in 66 deliveries and with that, momentum completely shifted in Pakistna’s favour. 

The Indian batters now need something really special in the middle in order to take the trophy home. Sai Sudharsan, who was in brilliant form in IPL 2023 and TNPL 2023, will be key for the side as Abhishek Sharma needs to give the Men in Blue a rapid start. Skipper Yash Dhull meanwhile had a really good season so far and will be aiming to continue in the same manner. On the other hand, Parag did a remarkable job with the bowl, and will now be hoping to do something similar with the bat.

Here's how Twitter reacted to Parag's double whammy-