Asia Cup: India struggle to beat minnows Hong Kong

Hong Kong produced a spirited batting display but fell 26 runs short against India in their Group A One-Day International (ODI) match of the Asia Cup here on Tuesday.

Chasing India’s target of 286, Hong Kong finished on 259/8 in their allotted 50 overs. Openers Nizakat Khan and Anshuman Rath gave their team a strong chance of pulling off a major upset by putting together a remarkable 174-run opening partnership.

Nizakat led the challenge with a well-made 92 off 115 balls, while Rath contributed 73 from 97 deliveries. The pair kept the Indian bowlers under pressure for 34 overs and raised hopes of an unlikely Hong Kong victory.

India finally broke the partnership when spinner Kuldeep Yadav flighted one outside off and Rath attempted a big shot. The ball went high and stand-in captain Rohit Sharma completed an excellent diving catch. Khaleel Ahmed then removed Nizakat in the following over, trapping him leg before wicket.

With both set batsmen back in the pavilion, Hong Kong’s required run rate began to rise. Their lower-order batsmen showed considerable determination to survive until the final over, but lacked the experience and firepower needed to complete the chase.

For India, debutant pacer Khaleel Ahmed emerged as one of the biggest positives. He impressed under pressure and finished with 3/48, providing India with an important breakthrough during Hong Kong’s strong resistance.

Earlier, India’s batting innings was built around a superb century from opener Shikhar Dhawan, who scored 127 off 120 balls. However, despite reaching 240/2 after 40 overs, India lost momentum late in the innings and were restricted to 285/7.

Rohit Sharma and Dhawan opened the innings with a 45-run partnership in eight overs. Rohit looked fluent during his 23-run knock, hitting four boundaries, before Ehsan Khan dismissed him.

Ambati Rayudu then joined Dhawan and the two took advantage of loose deliveries, adding 100 runs for the third wicket. Rayudu scored a valuable 60 before being caught off Ehsan Nawaz in the 30th over.

Dhawan continued his aggressive approach despite the setback and brought up his 14th ODI century. His innings included 15 boundaries and two sixes and appeared to have put India in control.

However, his dismissal by spinner K.D. Shah changed the momentum. India's middle order struggled against Hong Kong's spinners, who began taking wickets in quick succession. M.S. Dhoni was dismissed for a duck, followed by Dinesh Karthik.

Kedar Jadhav remained unbeaten on 28, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar scored nine. Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav were dismissed without scoring as India failed to convert their strong start into a 300-plus total.

Hong Kong’s disciplined chase ultimately made the contest far closer than the final margin suggested. Their 174-run opening stand was particularly significant, demonstrating that the underdogs could challenge a much stronger Indian side when they found a way to withstand the early bowling pressure.

Brief scores:

India: 285/7 in 50 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 127, Ambati Rayudu 60; Kinchit Shah 3/39)

Hong Kong: 259/8 in 50 overs (Nizakat Khan 92, Anshuman Rath 73; Khaleel Ahmed 3/48)

India won by 26 runs.