India win battle on field, too

For the first few overs on a balmy night in the UAE, Pakistan looked like a side reborn. It was the Asia Cup final, and for once their batting carried the intent and aggression of a team determined to shake India’s dominance. Sahibzada Farhan (57 off 38 balls) and Fakhar Zaman (46 off 35) began with quiet caution for two overs and then cut loose.

After restricting opponents to 146, Indian batters achieve target losing 5 wickets

Kuldeep spins magic, claims 4 wickets; Tilak Varma shines with bat, smashes 69

The onslaught forced India’s attack — near flawless all tournament — onto the defensive. For the first time in the competition the blue shirts were pushed back on their heels. Boundaries flowed, the scoreboard ticked with urgency and Pakistan’s supporters sensed that long-awaited perfect script: a final where their batsmen dictated terms. And then came the unravelling.

What followed was nothing short of a collective meltdown. In the space of 6.3 overs, Pakistan mustered only 33 runs while losing nine wickets. From 84 without loss, they plunged to 146 all out. Their innings collapsed like a house of cards. The early fireworks of Farhan and Fakhar now read like a cruel tease, a what-might-have-been that left the scoreboard — and their supporters — staring at an avoidable wreck.

Ruthless Indian bowling

India’s bowlers deserve full credit for engineering this dramatic reversal. Kuldeep Yadav was the star of the show with excellent figures of 4/30 in four overs, while Varun Chakaravarthy (2/30), Axar Patel (2/26) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/25) were also among the wickets.

But beyond the numbers lay a deeper story: Pakistan’s soft dismissals. Poor shot selection, running mishaps and a visible freeze under pressure made India’s job easier. The professionalism of India’s bowling unit stood in sharp contrast to the naivety of Pakistan’s batting.

India’s chase: Chaos over composure

If Pakistan’s innings was about waste, India’s reply was about calm over panic. Yet it wasn’t a perfectly smooth chase. Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill and Sanju Samson fell more out of arrogance then the skill of the bowlers. This was less about balance and more about moments — small lapses that kept Pakistan briefly interested.

The Tilak show

Then came the Tilak Varma show. In a high-pressure final, his temperament stood out. Determined eyes, crisp footwork and a clean strike through the line — Varma’s unbeaten 69 off 53 balls was an exhibition of composure. He refused to be hurried by Pakistan’s spinners or baited by their chatter. Alongside him, Shivam Dube provided the perfect foil, a breezy 33 off 22 balls that ensured the finishing touch. India crossed the line with two balls to spare, a measured chase that spoke of experience and trust in process.

Varma’s 69 not out was an exhibition of composure, a young batsman embracing the pressure of a final as if he’d been there a dozen times before.

The wider lens

This triumph is more than a single night’s work. It’s now three Asia Cups in a row for India, proof of a side that understands the demands of tournament cricket: adaptability, mental strength and relentless skill execution. The bowling depth — five different wicket-takers again — mirrors the planning and rotation that has kept India fresh across formats.

For Pakistan, the questions are far more uncomfortable. Their bowling remains world-class on paper, but no attack can defend 146 in a final. More worrying is the batting mindset. This was not a pitch full of demons, nor an attack they had never faced. It was panic, pure and simple. Too often Pakistan’s batting collapses are explained away as one-off mishaps, this one felt systemic.

The last word

Big finals magnify character. India embraced the pressure and found heroes. Pakistan froze and the cracks widened into chasms. Three Asia Cups in a row for India — India winning games despite having bad days and Pakistan still perfecting the art of self-destruction.