PERTH, Australia (AP) – Offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin returned a career-best four for 25 to set up defending champion India’s nine-wicket win over second-tier United Arab Emirates in a Cricket World Cup Pool B match on Saturday.
After dismissing the UAE for a paltry 102, India raced to 104 for one in 18.5 overs. Opener Rohit Sharma top scored with an unbeaten 57 and shared a match-winning 75-run partnership with Virat Kohli, who finished 33 not out.
India lead the group after consecutive victories over archrival Pakistan, South Africa and now the UAE.
It is the first time Ashwin has taken four wickets in an innings in 91 One-Day International appearances. He bowled unchanged and used the bounce and turn on the WACA surface to unsettle the batsmen after UAE won the toss and elected to bat.
Swing bowler Umesh Yadav and slow leftarm spinner Ravindra Jadeja also took two wickets apiece as the UAE innings lasted 31.3 overs.
Sharma, who had managed scores of 15 against Pakistan and 0 against South Africa, batted fluently and reached his 50 off just 48 balls.
The UAE performed well in losses to Zimbabwe and Ireland, but weren’t up to the level of one of the top eight teams in the sport.
Summarised scores:
United Arab Emirates 102 in 50 overs (Shaiman Anwar 35, Khurram Khan 14, Manjula Guruge 10; Ravichandran Ashwin 4-25, Umesh Yadav 2-15). India 104-1 in 18.5 overs (Rohit Sharma 57 not out, Virat Kohli 33 not out, Shikhar Dhawan 14). India won by nine wickets.