India were 133-4 after 14 overs against Pakistan in the men's cricket gold-medal match at the Asian Games on Saturday, after opener Abhishek Sharma struck a rapid 61 before Pakistan's bowlers pulled the game back in the middle overs. The match is being played in Nisshin, near Nagoya in central Japan, which is hosting this year's Games.
India's captain, Shreyas Iyer, won the toss and chose to bat, and both sides named unchanged teams from their semi-final wins. Abhishek hit three fours and seven sixes off 28 balls, a strike rate of about 218, helping India to 81-2 in the six-over powerplay and 103-3 after nine overs. He was stumped by wicketkeeper Usman Khan off the bowling of Arafat Minhas in the eighth over. Teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made 15 off nine balls before he was caught behind trying to reverse-sweep Saim Ayub, and Sanju Samson was dismissed by Ahmed Daniyal.
Pakistan tightened their bowling after the drinks break, conceding only 30 runs between the 10th and 14th overs. Arafat struck again in the 14th, bowling Ishan Kishan for 20 as the ball turned sharply and clipped the top of off stump; he had figures of 2-25 from three overs. Iyer was unbeaten on 21 and Tilak Varma on two at that stage.
The stakes are high for both teams. India are seeking to retain the title they won at the Hangzhou Games, in China, three years ago, while Pakistan are chasing their first men's cricket gold at the Asian Games. Matches between the two neighbours, whose cricketing rivalry is among the most closely watched in the sport, tend to draw large audiences, and a final adds to the occasion.
Elsewhere at the Games on Saturday, India enjoyed a productive day. Teenage archer Kumkum Mohod won gold in the women's individual recurve, beating South Korea's Oh Yejin in a shoot-out, and earned an Olympic quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Golfer Pranavi Urs became the first Indian woman to win Asian Games golf gold, helping India to team silver. In a less welcome development, the Olympic Council of Asia announced that Indian Kurash player Yash Kumar Chauhan had tested positive for multiple banned substances and been provisionally suspended. Kurash is a traditional wrestling discipline from Central Asia. The Games close on Sunday.