JOIN USA second string India dished out an impressive show to restrict minnows UAE to a meagre 81 for nine in an inconsequential round robin league encounter of the Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament, here today.
Opting to bat, UAE had no answer to India's disciplined bowling effort with the second string attack of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/8 in 4 overs), Jasprit Bumrah (1/23 in 4 overs), Hardik Pandya (1/11 in 3 overs), Harbhajan Singh (1/11 in 4 overs) and Pawan Negi (1/16) putting relentless pressure on the inexperienced opposition.
Even Yuvraj Singh (1/10 in 2 overs) chipped in with a scalp.
This is the second time in the tournament that India has restricted the opposition to a less-than 100 total.
There was such distinct difference in standards that it turned out to be a no contest from the outset. The total number of dots conceded by UAE in the match was an unprecedented 77 deliveries.
The UAE team had neither intent nor stomach for a good fight as it wasn't the kind of practice that the Indians were looking for before the final against Bangladesh on Sunday.
Bhuvneshwar was economical in his first spell in which he bowled 15 dots and also got the wicket of Swapnil Patil (0), who was promoted as an opener. After playing eight consecutive dot balls, he closed his bat face to an angular delivery only to find the leading edge that landed in the bowler's hands.
His new ball partner Jasprit Bumrah was a touch quicker as his rising delivery outside off-stump saw Mohammed Shahzad (1) tentatively jab at it and the ball flew to Suresh Raina at second slip, who did not make any mistake.
Rohan Mustafa's (11) approach and technique had no visible change despite his failures and the result was no different in this match also. After playing and missing for the better part of his 22-ball stay, Mustafa was finally gone off a Pandya delivery giving Virat Kohli a simple catch in the covers. UAE were reduced to 25 for three.
Harbhajan, playing his first match in the tournament, bowled decently with figures of 4-1-11-1. He bowled 16 dot balls in his four over spell.
Debutant Negi, IPL's most expensive Indian cricketer at Rs 8.5 crore, got his first international wicket when left- handed Muhammad Usman (9) was holed out at long-off to Harbhajan trying to hit a six.
UAE skipper Amjad Javed (0), just lasted a ball when Negi returned the favour taking a catch of Harbhajan's bowling.
Wickets fell at regular intervals for UAE with only Shaiman Anwar putting up some fight, top-scoring with 43 off 48 balls with three fours and a six.