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Riyan Parag came to India A's rescue in the Emerging Asia Cup 2023 final when Pakistan A batters were looking to accelerate in the middle overs. Parag in the second over of his spell took two wickets off two balls to push Pakistan A on the back foot.
Pakistan A were 183/2 after 27 overs. Omair Yousuf was scoring freely. Yousuf punched the ball back to the right of bowler. Parag dived to his right and managed to get his fingers underneath the ball. The all-rounder did not celebrate straightaway and the decision was referred to the third away who adjudged it out.
Next ball, Parag bowled a half-tracker and Wasim Akram went for the big shot. Harshit Rana got to the ball from deep mid-wicket and completed the catch. Akram departed for a golden duck. After the double strike, Parag was taken off the attack by Yash Dhull.
He was brought back in the 34th over. Tayyab Tahir hit him for a boundary. On the next delivery, there was a faint edge off Tahir's bat but wicketkeeper Druv Jurel could not hang on to it. Tahir was batting on 28 then.
He rubbed on Parag's wounds in the next over with a six and a four. He was not given the ball for remainder of the innings. He conceded 24 runs from four overs he bowled and picked up two wickets.
Tahir went on to score 108 runs from 71 deliveries including 12 fours and four sixes. He batted with the lower-order batters and helped side post a daunting total of 352/8.
Earlier, Dhull won the toss and opted to field first. Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan got their team to a terrific start at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. They shared a 121-run stand for the first wicket. Ayub scored 59 runs from 51 balls including seven fours and two sixes. On the other end, Farhan scored 65 runs from 62 balls including four fours and as many sixes.
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