TimesofIndia.com in Dubai: India maintained their dominance over Pakistan in this Asia Cup, defeating their arch-rivals by six wickets in the Super Four clash on Sunday. Opener Abhishek Sharma led the charge with a blazing 74, putting on a record 105-run opening stand with Shubman Gill as India chased down 172 with seven balls to spare.The contest was played under tense conditions following the handshake controversy from their previous group-stage meeting, but Suryakumar Yadav, India’s captain, focused on the on-field performance rather than off-field drama.Speaking to reporters after the win, Suryakumar downplayed the idea of a rivalry. “You guys should stop asking questions about the rivalry between India-Pakistan. According to me, if two teams play 15-20 matches, and if it is even, then it is a rivalry. 10-0, 10-1, I don’t know what the stat is, but this is not a rivalry anymore. I think we played better cricket than them (Pakistan), and also from a bowling point of view,” he said, referring to India’s dominant head-to-head record in T20Is, which now stands at 12-3.India faced some fielding challenges during Pakistan’s innings, with several catches dropped early on. The captain joked about the errors, saying, “I think the fielding coach has already emailed players whose hands had some butter on them. It’s good that this happened early on because we have more crucial games going forward.” He also rejected the idea that floodlights were to blame. “Floodlights can’t be an excuse.”Abhishek Sharma’s innings was the highlight of the chase. Yadav praised the opener’s composure and game awareness: “He is very selfless. He can bat in the same way after the powerplay. But he analyses it beautifully. He is learning every day.”He also showered praise on the opening duo, saying, “They are ice and fire. They complement each other very well.”On the team’s strategy, he explained the decision to field first after winning the toss: “When we played on the 14th, the wicket was better from the batting point of view. The wicket has improved.”India’s bowling heroics also received praise, with Shivam Dube’s four overs turning the match in India’s favour. “Shivam Dube’s spell was the turning point. He bowled his entire quota and he was very happy,” Yadav added. Dube claimed key wickets of Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub to dampen the flow of runs early in the innings.
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The win not only strengthened India’s position in the Super Four but also showed the balance between power-hitting and bowling in their squad, with Suryakumar choosing to focus on performance over rivalry.
