At Sharjah, April 13. India won by 71 runs. Toss: United Arab Emirates. International debuts: United Arab Emirates (all); A. C. Bedade, Bhupinder Singh, sen.

The public drama of the Emirates' first senior international and India's first game in Sharjah since October 1991 was overshadowed by a personal crisis. Ajit Wadekar, the Indian manager, suffered a mild heart attack before the start, news which Azharuddin kept from his players as long as possible. His worries did not show in his innings of 81. Kambli scored a spectacular unbeaten 82, striking three sixes and four fours in 65 balls.

The Emirates' reply of 202 was more than respectable and lasted the full 50 overs. Former Maharashtra opener Poonawala raced to 22 from 14 balls, but the biggest contribution was Hussain's 70.

Man of the Match: V. G. Kambli.

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