One decision that was to sway the game in Pakistan’s favour was the last-minute inclusion of two youngsters — Nasir Jamshed and Saeed Ajmal — in the squad. The duo performed exceedingly well and laid the foundation an emphatic eight-run victory over the arch-rivals India on Wednesday and saved the hosts from crashing out of the Asia Cup.

Off-spinner Ajmal was brought in place of left-arm spinner Fawad Alam who was dropped after the thrashing he received at the hands of Indian and Sri Lankan batsmen in the tournament. Ajmal, playing his first one-day international seized the opportunity, conceding merely 47 runs off 10 overs and claiming a wicket.

Man of the Match Younis Khan later said: “It (his bowling) helped a great deal as the Indian were going strong when MS Dhoni was still at the crease.”

Meanwhile, Jamshed, who had debuted against Zimbabwe early this year but left out after Shoaib Malik decided to fill the opener’s slot, made the most of the injured skipper’s absence. Playing only his ninth ODI, the left hander stepped in Malik's shoes with ease, scoring 53 off 43 balls before getting retired hurt due to cramps. “It was important for us to get a good start and he (Jamshed) did a fine job. It gave us time to settle down,” Younis said.

In the process, the duo also proved that Pakistan's bench is not as weak as it's been made out to be.