India, Oct. 3 -- India and Pakistan delivered on the promise of the fixture. An India-Pakistan contest at the Asian Games, their first meeting at the tournament, had threatened to be a mismatch. Instead, it became a thriller.

India, the world champions, arrived in Japan with a near full-strength squad while most teams brought second-string sides. Their batting alone looked capable of overwhelming opponents. If Vaibhav Sooryavanshi didn't get you, Abhishek Sharma could. If he didn't, there was Sanju Samson or Ishan Kishan. Then came Tilak Varma.

But Pakistan came remarkably close.

India capped off their defence of the Asian Games title with a 19-run win over their geopolitical rivals, but not before being pushed a little. At Korogi Spor...