UAE bowled out for 57 runs in Asia Cup 2025 match
India chased the target with a dominant nine-wicket win
Lalchand Rajput suggested UAE batters were intimidated
Kuldeep Yadav led with four wickets; Shivam Dube took three wickets
United Arab Emirates batters encountered India's high-calibre bowling for the first time on Wednesday, and their head coach Lalchand Rajput stated that this challenge led to their crushing Asia Cup 2025 defeat at the Dubai International Stadium. The UAE team collapsed to 57 all out, and India swiftly chased the target, securing a dominant nine-wicket victory. The match clearly demonstrated India's formidable pace and spin attack.
Lalchand Rajput, UAE's head coach and a former India cricketer, explained the team's batters "never play such kind of bowlers" and were "overawed by big names" in the Indian opposition. India dismissed the UAE side for 57 runs in 13.1 overs, swiftly completing the chase in just 4.3 overs.
Indian Bowlers Dominate With Spin And Pace
Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav spearheaded India's attack, taking four wickets. Shivan Dube claimed three wickets for four runs, Varun Chakaravarthy took one for four runs, Axar Patel secured one for 13 runs, and Jasprit Bumrah also took one wicket for 19 runs.
Rajput remarked on the Indian team's significant depth, saying, "It was good till powerplay, but once spinners started operating, it changed. There was not much turn, but if it's Kuldeep and Varun, even top batters struggle against them."
India opted for a spin-heavy line-up for this opening match, with Jasprit Bumrah being the sole specialist pace bowler. This meant Arshdeep Singh did not feature in the playing eleven. This strategic move was based on the assessment of the Dubai pitch and the perceived vulnerability of UAE’s batters to high-quality spin, resulting in six Indian bowlers being used, five of whom took wickets.
"World champions will crush teams," Rajput commented. "If Arshdeep cannot make it to playing eleven, it says something about the (Indian) team’s depth."
(With PTI Inputs)
