India's captain, Suryakumar Yadav, won the toss and opted to bowl first in the final. Shivam Dube opened the attack, giving away just 4 runs in the first over while repeatedly beating the bat.Jasprit Bumrah followed up, testing Sahibzada Farhan with some sharp deliveries, though the batter managed to respond with a few well-timed shots.Despite the pressure, Pakistan reached 45/0 at the end of the powerplay, a solid start. Remarkably, this marks the fourth instance in which Pakistan has not lost a wicket in the powerplay against India.It is worth noting that the Men in Blue have taken a beating while bowling in their last few Asia Cup matches, even someone like Jasprit Bumrah. Their last outing, against Sri Lanka, went to the Super Over despite them posting a total of 202 on the board.It is also worth noting that Hardik Pandya, one of their key bowlers, is not playing in the final due to an injury, which is a major blow to the team in this high-pressure game.Before the Asia Cup 2025 final, India and Pakistan had faced off in 15 T20 matches, and on only three occasions had Indian bowlers failed to take a wicket during the powerplay. The most recent instance before this tournament occurred in 2021, also at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
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