From hitting their lengths in the powerplay to spinners bowling immaculate lengths in the middle, Pakistan did most things correctly while bowling in the second innings of the Asia Cup 2025 final against India. They had clearly put India in massive trouble, reducing them to 20/3 in four overs before restricting runs and piling the required rate to 10.66 by the end of the 14th over.
However, one tactical blunder they made was introducing Haris Rauf in the 15th over, which changed the momentum and shifted it in India’s favour. He conceded as many as 17 runs and, more importantly, bowled poor balls, giving pace to batters when off-pace deliveries worked brilliantly throughout the innings, and the lines were too straight.
After conceding a boundary with a length delivery to Shivam Dube, he bowled in the slot while attempting a yorker and was hit for another four. As if this were not enough, Rauf tried a short delivery into the body, but his natural angle allowed Tilak Varma to get under it and thump over the deep backward square leg for a maximum.
He returned for the 18th set, but again attempted pace-on yorkers, missing his mark a few times throughout the over. Finally, Dube got under one of the full tosses and thwacked over deep midwicket to take 13 from the over, putting India in front.
Ideally, Pakistan should have continued with spinners till the 16th over rather than bringing Rauf for the 15th, where his poor bowling allowed the game to slip away. Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub bowled brilliantly in tandem and conceded only 6.42 runs per over in seven sets while taking a solitary wicket.
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With the ball gripping into the surface, spinners were arduous to hit, so Ayub should have completed his spell when he was going well for 0/16 in three overs. That 15th over, bowled by Rauf, should have been given to Abrar, with Ayub taking the 16th before reintroduction of fast bowlers.
Additionally, Rauf delivered only 39.13% of slower balls, compared to a whopping 70.83% by Faheem Ashraf. Shaheen Afridi bowled only 20.83% such deliveries because he bowled as many as three overs in the powerplay, where he generated movement, and showed encouraging control over his yorkers at the death.
Even when Rauf attempted off-cutters, either his length or line was wayward: two full tosses, one half volley, and another one on the middle line. On a day when spinners collectively went for 6.85 runs per over, Pakistan employed a pace bowler despite having as many as four overs of slow bowling left to work with, and that’s where India took the trophy away from their grasp.
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