It was billed as an uneven lop-sided contest between the Giants and the Lilliput of world cricket. However, the Asia Cup game between India, one of the strongest test-playing nations in world cricket, and Hong Kong, a lowly-ranked associate member of the ICC, almost turned out to be a David vs. Goliath battle in which the mighty Goliaths returned victorious by a whisker, denying David to have the last laugh in Dubai. 

On Tuesday, a star-studded Indian side, playing without their superstar captain Virat Kohli, huffed and puffed to beat the rank-outsiders in world cricket. The second best ODI team in the current ICC rankings clinched a 26-run victory in the end after surviving a massive scare of suffering one of the biggest upsets in the history of the past colonial game of willow bat and leather ball. 

“Irrespective of the result, this Hong Kong side has been brilliant and has already made the cricketing world sit up and take notice,” said former Indian wicket-keeper and batsman Deep Dasgupta. 

Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan hit a superb century as India clinched the victory from the jaws of defeat to thwart an almost imminent embarrassment. 

Batting first in the Group A fixture, Dhawan guided India to 240 for two from 40 overs, notching up his 14th one-day international hundred before he was dismissed on 127, with 15 boundaries and two sixes. 

Ambati Rayudu had earlier made 60 off 70 balls, but the Hong Kong spinners responded following Dhawan's departure with a late flurry of wickets to restrict India to 285 for seven. 

Kinchit Shah finished with three for 39. 

The Associate Member side then threatened an unlikely result as Hong Kong captain Anshuman Rath (73) and Nizakat Khan (92) put on a stand of 174 for the first wicket - only to swiftly lose both men within two overs. 

The middle order failed to produce enough support in the run chase, despite Ehsan Khan's rapid 22 late on, as Yuzvendra Chahal and ODI debutant Khaleel Ahmed, each took three wickets with Hong Kong finishing on 259 for eight.

India's batting hero of the match, Shikhar Dhawan mentioned, “Even we didn't expect that they were going to score a 174-run partnership, but they played well. Of course, we could have been more consistent in our bowling, but we have to give credit to their batsmen. Both opening batsmen really played well and the way they played their shots and the way they were calculative about scoring runs. It was good and have to appreciate their good batting as well.”

Meanwhile, former India Test opener and renowned cricket commentator Aakash Chopra tweeted after initially predicting a big 300-plus score and a cakewalk for India. “Sincere apologies, @CricketHK. Underestimated your resolve. Lessons learned. Go well in the future,” Chopra tweeted after the match that went down to the wire. 

India, now safely through to the super-four stage, will be back in action today when they take on their arch-rivals Pakistan, who also beat Hong Kong in their opening fixture. 

While the Hong Kong cricketers, who fell agonizingly short of a miracle on the cricket pitch, will return home holding their heads high and winning hearts from the world of cricket.