18:55 Asia Cup: Dhawan, Rayudu steady ship: India 135-1 (25 ovs) vs Hong Kong | Scorecard
Dhawan and Rayudu try to keep the scoreboard ticking steadily. Three runs from that Nadeem Ahmed over.
The two are looking to build partnership. Three singles off that over from Aizaz Khan. Decent over.
Rayudu attempts to sweep and there is an appeal for LBW. It was close! Four from that over.
18:40 India 124-1 (22 ovs) vs Hong Kong | Scorecard
After a sluggish start, Rayudu joins the party. He is hitting some big runs out there.
Runs flowing in from Dhawan. Seven for him from Afzal’s over.
18:32 Asia Cup: 50 comes up for Dhawan: India 109-1 (20 ovs) vs Hong Kong | Scorecard
Dhawan sends the ball to the ropes after finding some gaps. Seven off that over from Ehsan Khan. First drinks break is called.
After the drinks, just 1 run from Ahmed over. Five singles collected off Ehsan’s sixth over.
Nizakat replaces E Khan in the attack. Comfortable two for Dhawan to bring up his fifty runs. He smashes another ball for four runs and that brings up India’s 100 runs too. Rayudu hits six to end the over.
18:09 India 77-1 (15 ovs) vs Hong Kong | Scorecard
Nadeem Ahmed gives away just two runs off the 15th over. Dhawan and Rayudu try to keep the scoreboard ticking steadily.
18:05 Asia Cup: Dhawan, Rayudu steady ship: India 70-1 (13 ovs) vs Hong Kong | Scorecard
Another eight runs from the over. Dhawan hits A Khan for four runs. 64-1.
The batsmen scoring just singles form that over. 68-1.
Just two from the 13th over. Run rate coming down.
17:49 India 56-1 (10 ovs) vs Hong Kong | Scorecard
Aizaz Khan in attack and Rayudu gets to scoring runs. Three off that over. 48-1
Eight runs off that over from Khan. Dhawan hits two consecutive boundaries.
17:40 Asia Cup: India lose early wicket: Another change in attack. Ehsan Khan gets the ball now. And he gets the big wicket of Rohit Sharma. Catch taken at mid-off by Nizakat Khan. He is gone for 23. India 45-1.
17:33 7 overs, India 44-0 (Dhawan 20 (22); Sharma 23 (20))
Four dot balls and with a beautiful timing Dhawan sends Nawaz’s delivery for four runs. No stopping Dhawan here. Another four runs. At the end of 6 overs 42-0.
The next over Aizaz Khan gets the ball and he tries to stop the run flow. Just two off that over. 44-0
17:25 5 overs, India 34-0
Four dot balls and Sharma slaps Nawaz’s next delivery for four runs. 21-0 at the end of the fourth over.
Afzal in attack now. Dhawan faces him and sends the ball to the ropes. Sharma lofts it over mid-on and sends the ball to the ropes. Sharma ends the over with a boundary. 13 runs in the over. 34-0
17:17 Asia Cup: India off to a good start: 3 overs, India 17-0
Skipper Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan walk out to bat. Tanwir Afzal to Sharma and the Indian skipper is off to scoring the first run. Sharma sends the fourth ball of the over to the ropes. End of first over India 7-0.
Sharma faces Ehsan Nawaz in the second over and runs look to come easy. 13-0 at the end of second over.
Dhawan was kept quite for some time and in the third over sends Afzal’s first ball for four runs.
16:52 Hong Kong elect to bowl; Khaleel debuts for India:
Hong Kong captain Anshuman Rath has won the toss and elected to bowl against India in the fourth match of the 2018 Asia Cup.
Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed will make his debut for India, who have brought in Ambati Rayudu, while KL Rahul has been kept out.
All-rounder Kedar Jadhav, who has recovered from his injury, also makes a comeback and so does Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Check out the playing XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (w/k), Kedar Jadhav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Khaleel Ahmed.
Hong Kong: Anshuman Rath (captain), Nizakat Khan, Babar Hayat, Christopher Carter, Kinchit Shah, Ehsan Khan, Aizaz Khan, Scott McKechnie (w/k), Tanwir Afzal, Ehsan Nawaz, Nadeem Ahmed
16:37 Hong Kong wins the toss and will bowl first : Hong Kong have won the toss and will bowl first against Team India.
Virat Kohli sent out his wishes to the Men in Blue as they begin their Asia Cup title defence.
16:20 Asia Cup: Will India get their combination right against Hong Kong?: A formidable India will be aiming to make short work of minnows Hong Kong in their Asia Cup opener on Tuesday before getting battle-ready for their much-anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.
Even without regular captain Virat Kohli, the Indian side, led by Rohit Sharma, is an intimidating one in the limited-overs format.
Although Rohit and his colleagues won’t want to take Hong Kong lightly, in reality the match will only be a pre-cursor or a glorified dress rehearsal before they take on an in-form Pakistan on Wednesday.
In the searing Dubai heat, where the mercury has risen up to 43 degree Celsius, the primary aim for the Men in Blue would be to get their combination right before the big game.
Source: Rediff