Asia Cup 2014: Pak vs India 6th match, Pakistan beat India by 1 wicket: Photo

Shahid Khan Afridi smashed two consecutive sixes off Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the final over as Pakistan defeated India by one wicket in virtual final at Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka on Sunday.

After a long time Afridi played a winning short for Pakistan in ODI matches. Shahid Afridi smashed 326 sixes in his career.

Pakistan unsettled India's batsmen with pace and spin to restrict the World Cup champions to 245-8 in a key Asia Cup 2014.
Pakistan, chasing India's 245-8, needed nine runs off the last four balls after losing their way from a seemingly winning position to slump from 200-4 to 236-9 at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.

This is second victory after three matches. With this great victory Pakistan has ha big chance to play Asia Cup Final. Pakistan will play his forth match against Bangladesh on Tuesday. Pakistan beaten by 12 runs in first match against Sri Lanka. After that Pakistan got victory against Afghanistan and get bonus point.

India, the reigning World Cup champions, suffered their second defeat in three games and is unlikely to make the March 8 final even if they beat Afghanistan in their last match on Wednesday.

Afridi returned unbeaten on 34 off 18 balls, he hit three sixes and two boundaries.

Muhammad Hafeez picked up two wickets and then made 75 runs, adding 87 runs for the fifth wicket with Sohaib Maqsood (38) after Pakistan were reduced to 113-4 in the 23rd over.

India grabbed three more wickets to make it 236-9 before Afridi's blitz in the company of last man Junaid Khan carried the jubilant Pakistanis home.

Afridi, a 34-year-old veteran of 377 one-days, said he was delighted to contribute to his side's win in a crunch match.

“Expectations were high,” he said. “We all know how important this game was and I am glad I did it. It's a great occasion whenever we play against India and today was our day.”

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq appeared a relieved man after Afridi's heroics.

“It was a really important win and I am happy because Pakistan played really well under pressure,” he said.

“We have the label of being bad chasers, but Hafeez and Maqsood did well and Afridi finished it perfectly.”

Indian captain Virat Kohli, said he was proud of the way the team responded to the challenge.

“The guys put in a good effort after a modest total,” he said. “We were 20 to 30 runs short with the bat. But this game could have gone either way. We may not make it to the final, but I am proud how the bowlers fought back.”

Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra marked his first match in the tournament with two for 28 from 10 steady overs on the slow pitch.

Pakistan had unsettled India's batsmen with pace and spin after electing to field, with Saeed Ajmal claiming 3-40 and debutant fast bowler Mohammad Talha and Hafeez two each.

Opener Rohit Sharma (56) and Ambati Rayudu (58) were the main contributors for India at the top of the order, before Ravindra Jadeja hit an unbeaten 52 off 49 balls towards the end.

Left-hander Jadeja, who walked in to bat in his 100th one-dayer with his team on a shaky 155-5, smashed four boundaries and two sixes to boost the total.

Rayudu put on 52 for the fifth wicket with Dinesh Karthik and 59 for the sixth with Jadeja before he holed out in the deep in the 47th over.

Pakistan cricketer Sahid Afridi (3R) celebrates with his teammates after winning the sixth match of the Asia Cup one-day cricket tournament between India and Pakistan.