India made light work of winning a third game at the Cricket World Cup, beating the United Arab Emirates by nine wickets in Perth.
MS Dhoni’s men fresh from their impressive win over South Africa last time out – were ruthless in their dismantling of the associate nation.
A first ODI four-for from Ravichandran Ashwin (four for 25) helped them bowl out the UAE for 102 the lowest score of the tournament so far – and then they rattled through their chase in less than 19 overs.
The only bump in the road in India’s knock came when Shikhar Dhawan went in the seventh over for 14, Rohan Mustafa taking a fine catch at backward point off the bowling of Mohammad Naveed.
Around him, though, Rohit Sharma made 57 and Virat Kohli 33 in a stand of 75 as victory was secured with ease on the back of a solid bowling performance.
The UAE were always going to need a strong start but unfortunately for them they did not get one, losing their openers inside the first five overs.
Andri Berenger was the first of them to go, with an Umesh Yadav bouncer too quick for him to process and he top edged it behind to Dhoni.
The keeper was in action for the second wicket too, Amjad Ali gloving Bhuvneshwar Kumar behind as he tried to play a hook shot.
And a third wicket followed in the 11th over as India motored, with Ashwin snaring a glove out of Krishna Chandran (four), caught by Suresh Raina at leg slip.
It was really tough going for the UAE and Ashwin soon had a second, Swapnil Patel edging him to slip (six), with a third following when Khurram Khan (14) tried to sweep him but miscued to slip.
The wickets continued to flow and Mustafa was trapped leg before by Mohit Sharma (two), while Ravindra Jadeja struck with his first ball, luring Amjad Javed forward and forcing him to nick to the corden (two).
India’s faultless performance was punctuated by a rare mistake five balls later, Raina shelling a sitter as new man Naveed, fresh from a first-ball maximum, edged one to him.
Ashwin continued to cause trouble too and took his fourth wicket, clean bowling Naveed (six), while Jadeja’s second came when Mohammad Tauqir tried to sweep him but collapsed on the shot and allowed the ball to go under his back leg and clean up the stumps.
At 71 for nine the UAE were teetering although Shaiman Anwar decided to have some fun, swinging his bat for 35, but when Yadav removed his off stump the game was up and his side were out for 102.
