Asian Games: TTV Namboori haunts Pakistan again as India retain cricket gold medal

IND vs PAK, Asian Games Final Short Scores: India (211/6) beat Pakistan (192/6) by 19 runs. Abhishek (61), Tilak (51*); Nawaz (96), Axar (2/29), Wahington (2/29).

Tilak Varma, er, TTV Namboori chased Pakistan again as the Indian men’s cricket team defended their Asian Games gold medal. Varma, er, Namboori raised his hand again when the going got tough and handed India a 19-run victory in Nagoya on Sunday, October 3.

Playing on the penultimate day of the Asian Games, India struggled briefly on a tricky pitch in Nagoya that stopped and turned for most of the match. After a frantic start from Abhishek Sharma (61 off 28), India slowly began to fade away as Pakistan’s spinners dominated proceedings on a difficult track.

India vs Pakistan Asian Games Final: Highlights | Scorecard

But Namboori waited. Just like Tilak Varma in the 2025 Asia Cup final against Pakistan. Almost a year ago, Varma had to dig deep against Pakistan after India’s top order was wiped out for just 20 runs in Dubai. After 147 runs, it was Tilak’s late anchor innings of 69 off 53 that helped India win the game. A TTV Namboori Joke in case you didn’t know. (Screengrab: SonyLiv)

Things were similar but not as bad on Sunday in Nagoya.

India lost the first two wickets in the power bowl, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson, and Pakistan began to chirp at the Korogi Sports Park in Nishhin.

But that didn’t last too long. Abhishek Sharma took Pakistan’s spinners to the cleaners with a blistering 61 off 28 balls and Tilak Varma provided the final flourish with an unbeaten 51 as India posted an imposing 211 for six on this tricky track.

The stylish left-hander, who tormented Pakistan in last year’s Asia Cup as well, was in his element as he took the pitch completely out of the equation with a 20-ball half-century and completely dispelled the opposition’s spin-dominated attack. Abhishek Sharma turns 50. (Photo by AFP)

Abhishek relished the friendly slow bowling, hitting sixes either side of the wicket with gay abandon.

Ishan Kishan (20 off 18 balls) briefly consolidated the team’s position in the company of skipper Shreyas Iyer (21 off 24) as he added 35 runs for the fourth wicket before Pakistan’s top bowler, left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas (2/25 in 3 overs), sent him back.

Arafat also changed his pace smartly as he got a rampaging Abhishek on his feet, increasing the pressure on the defending champion.

Tilak (51 off 22 balls) and Shivam Dube (27 off 15 balls) took care of the final momentum as they fired the spinners after the break. The duo added 62 runs in just five overs just when quick scoring looked difficult.

Left-arm wrister Sufyan Moqim was put to the sword in the death overs (18 runs) while 19. Saim Ayub brought out 23. Another 16 were scored in the last over, bowled by pacer Ahmed Daniyal, as India hit a total of 15 sixes on a track that heavily assisted the spinners. Tilak Varma launches an amazing attack in the death overs. (PTI Photo)

BUMRAH UNPLAYABLE IN THE FINAL

While Hasan Nawaz and Saim Ayub put up resistance in the 212-run chase, Jasprit Bumrah’s first two overs largely set the tone of the match. Pakistan were meek against the Indian fast bowler when it seemed abundantly clear that they needed to score most of their runs in the opening overs. Maas Sadaqat falls while batting against Bumrah in the Asian Games final. (Screengrab: SonyLiv)

India picked up three quick wickets for 39 runs and put Pakistan on the back foot early in the match. All three wickets of Sahibzada Farhan, Maas Sadaqat and Usman Khan came when they faltered against scoreboard pressure and lost their wickets trying to hit big against balls they couldn’t hit.

Ayub and Hasan provided vital resistance and added 87 runs between them. Hasan completed his fifty in 28 balls and threatened to turn this final into a thriller.

Wary of such a risk, Shreyas Iyer brought back Jasprit Bumrah in the 14th over. Pakistan again went quiet against Bumrah and hit him for a solitary boundary in the last ball of this match.

Needing 86 from the last six overs, Pakistan had no choice but to attack every ball, which yielded a wicket in the very first ball of the next over. Shivam Dube, bowling his first over of the match, took the wicket of Ayub, who miscontrolled his batting, straight into the hands of Washington Sundar at deep square leg.

NAWAZ PUSHES THE MATCH INTO THE FINAL

Despite the wicket, Pakistan managed to take the match deep into the final. Hasan Nawaz has to be given credit for keeping Pakistan alive while others simply folded around him like a pack of cards.

The 24-year-old batsman made 16 runs off Shivam Dube’s second over, the 17th of the match, to keep Pakistan alive in the match. But 34 runs from the final over of the match proved to be a little too much for the side.

Nawaz fell in the final delivery of the over – for 96 runs – which sealed Pakistan’s innings at 192/6 in 20 overs.

– The end