India secured a hard-fought six-wicket victory over Pakistan in their Super Four Asia Cup clash in Dubai, a win made even more memorable by some unusual post-match comments from Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav. Despite the team’s eventual success, the match was marred by several fielding errors.
Speaking after the game, Suryakumar humorously revealed that fielding coach T Dilip had sent an email to players with “butter fingers,” summoning them to his office. “The fielding coach has sent an email to the boys, who had buttered fingers, to appear before him at his office,” Suryakumar quipped. “But this happens, it is a part of the game. I am okay with it because it happened in the first game itself, and we have more crucial games to go.”
The dropped catches by Indian fielders, including Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill, and Abhishek Sharma, allowed Pakistan to post a competitive total of 171/5. However, India’s chase was anchored by a magnificent century partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.
Suryakumar emphasized the importance of strategic batting in the middle overs. “The team which will play good cricket from over 7 to 15 will have an upper hand. You have to be smarter with your plans in the finish. In powerplay, the ball is hard and you can time it well, but after that, you have to bat smartly. That is what we did today,” he explained.
He also lauded Shivam Dube’s bowling, calling his spell of 2/33 in four overs a “turning point” in the match. “The drinks during the first innings was a turning point. When bowlers changed their line and lengths, showed more energy, spinners bowled well. Shivam Dube’s spell was a turning point in the game. He has been working hard on his bowling. This was a perfect game for him. He always wanted to bowl two overs minimum, but he got four today, and he was very happy. He was very clear with his plans. This makes my job easier,” Suryakumar stated.
After India won the toss and elected to field, Pakistan’s innings was bolstered by a strong 72-run partnership between Sahibzada Farhan (58 off 45 balls) and Saim Ayub (21 from 17 balls). Late contributions from Mohammed Nawaz (21 off 19) and Faheem Ashraf (20 not out off 8) helped them reach their final score.
India’s bowling effort saw Shivam Dube take two wickets, with Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya each contributing one.
In response, Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 74 runs from just 39 balls, featuring six fours and five sixes, along with Shubman Gill’s 47 off 28 balls (eight boundaries), powered India’s chase. Despite Haris Rauf claiming two wickets for 26 runs, Tilak Varma (30 not out) and Hardik Pandya (7 not out) comfortably guided India to victory with seven balls to spare.
Abhishek Sharma’s impactful batting performance earned him the Player of the Match award, highlighting his crucial role in overcoming India’s early fielding mishaps.