India is facing Pakistan in the cricket final at the Asian Games. The high-voltage encounter always produces some iconic moments and some meme, which are hard to forget.
One such moment came when Saim Ayub's dropped two catches in quick succession in the Asian Games final, as Pakistan missed chances to dismiss Abhishek and India skipper Shreyas Iyer in the fifth over of the powerplay.
The misses mattered in a high-pressure India-Pakistan contest and quickly drew sharp reaction online.
Fans and trolls mocked Ayub on social media after the errors, with some posts using the line, "Ankhon Ko Chashmey Ki Zarurat Hai". Some users labeled the dropped catches as 'Karma', given that Saim Ayub had celebrated Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's wicket in a rather derogatory way.
The chances came at a key stage of India's innings, when early breakthroughs could have checked the scoring.
Powerplay Misses
Pakistan had two openings in the fifth over.
Ayub failed to hold on to chances offered by Abhishek and Iyer, giving both batters a reprieve in the powerplay. In a final loaded with pressure, the missed chances soon became a major talking point.
Both opportunities were difficult. Even so, the errors put Pakistan's fielding under scrutiny as viewers focused on how costly the lapses could prove against an aggressive Indian start.
India cashed in. Abhishek, in particular, kept attacking after the let-offs and ensured the pressure swung back on Pakistan in the opening overs.
Abhishek's Fast Start
Abhishek counterattacked hard.
The left-handed opener raced to his half-century in 20 balls and drove India's early charge despite the loss of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson. His tempo did not dip after the dropped chances.
India still lost wickets early. But the setbacks did little to slow the innings as Abhishek kept the scoreboard moving and forced Pakistan onto the defensive.
The scoring rate stayed high. India reached 81 in the six-over powerplay, underlining how expensive the missed chances became in the opening phase of the final.
Toss Handshake Snub
The tension showed up early.
Before the first ball, Iyer and Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan did not shake hands at the toss. That moment also caught viewers' attention and added to the charged mood around the final.
