Things went from bad to worse for India after the draw as it asked Pakistan to play as the number one, a decision that caused some confusion as the chasing team had lost eight matches in the tournament.
However, Pakistan A, fielding as many as eight players with international experience, was determined to repay India A, who fielded a U-23 team with no experience of playing top-level cricket.
Pakistan started the game like a supercharged machine, scoring more than six goals and then the pace of play exceeded the mark of seven balls per match.
Openers Saeem Ayub (59 off 51 balls) and Sahibzada Farhan (65 off 62 balls) added 121 runs in just 17.2 overs, taking full advantage of the fresh cover and hard ball.
Just when Pakistan thought they had tackled the Indian bowlers, they stormed back into the game. Left-arm spinner Manav Sutar took his 11th wicket of the tournament after knocking Ayub out.
Over the next 11 overs, they conceded 66 runs off 66 balls but took 4 wickets as Pakistan slumped to 187-5.
Lego spinner Riyan Parag came into play and took two wickets in a few balls, dismissing Omair Yousuf and Qasim Akram.
However, Tahir dashed India’s hopes of an early defeat to Pakistan with a rare quality performance.
Around the 30th over, the ball started clinging slightly to the surface but Tahir played a line drive, showing timely