Pakistan thrash India to reach West Asia Baseball Cup final

KARACHI: Pakistan’s baseball team delivered another remarkable performance Tuesday afternoon, overpowering India by a lopsided 14-1 score in the West Asia Baseball Cup semifinal in Karaj, Iran.

The mercy rule was invoked after seven innings as Pakistan’s commanding lead left no chance for an Indian comeback. The defending champions came out swinging, putting up five runs in both the first and third innings to take firm control of the game. Third baseman Hussain led the offensive charge, going 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs and four runs scored.

Center fielder Wasim Akram and designated hitter Muhammad Rehan also had strong performances, combining for four hits and four runs batted in. On the mound, starting pitcher Muhammad Haris set the tone with 4.1 solid innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out four Indian batters.

The bullpen was even more dominant, with relievers Syed Muhib Shah and Hussain Imam combining for five strikeouts over 2.2 scoreless innings to seal the victory. India struggled in all phases of the game, committing an alarming 10 fielding errors while their pitchers issued eight walks. Their lone run came in the first inning, they managed just four hits total against Pakistan’s stingy pitching staff.

With this emphatic win, Pakistan advances to Wednesday’s final where they will face Palestine as they seek to defend their West Asia Baseball Cup title. It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan entered the knockout stage in top form after topping Group B. They began their campaign with a 10-6 win over Bangladesh. In their second group game, Pakistan routed host nation Iran 14-0.