Dubai, Sep 22 Opener Abhishek Sharma’s fiery knock of 74 off 39 balls set the tone for India’s clinical six-wicket win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup Super Fours clash and maintained their unbeaten run in the competition. With the Player of the Match award in his hand, Abhishek said his aggression with the bat came as a response to the bit of tension coming from Pakistan during the successful chase of 172.
“Today was pretty simple, the way they were coming out at us without any reason, I did not like it at all. That's why I went after them. I wanted to deliver for the team,” he said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Reflecting on his 105-run opening stand with Shubman Gill, Abhishek said, “We have been playing since school days, we enjoy each other's company, we thought we would do it, and today was the day. The way he was giving it back, I really enjoyed it.”
Abhishek credited the Indian team environment for his good performance in Sunday’s game. “If you see someone playing like this, it's because the team supports me and they back me. That's the intent I show, and I'm practicing really hard, and if it's my day, I'm gonna win it for my team.”
India captain Suryakumar Yadav praised the collective effort and composure shown by the side, especially after a shaky first ten overs with the ball. “The way the boys are stepping up in every game is making my job very easy. The boys showed a lot of character. They were calm after the first 10 overs (of India's bowling innings). After drinks, I told them the game starts now.”
He also backed Jasprit Bumrah to come good in future games after having an off day with the ball. “That's fine, he's not a robot, he will have a bad day someday.” He also credited Shivam Dube for turning the tide and lauded the opening pair’s chemistry. “Dube bailed us out of the situation. They complement each other really well (Abhishek and Gill). It's like a fire and ice combination.”
On the fielding front, where India dropped four catches in a sloppy performance, Suryakumar said, “After the first innings, our fielding coach, T Dilip, has emailed all players who had butter fingers today.”
Pakistan skipper Salman Agha admitted the game slipped away during the Power-play and rued the missed opportunities. “We are yet to play a perfect game, but we are getting there. A great game, but in the Power-play, they took the game away from us.”
“Looking back with the position we were in after 10 overs, we could have got 10-15 more. 170-180 is a good total, but in the Power-play, they batted well; that was the difference. If you see the bowlers are going for runs, you need to change it, that's how it goes in T20s.”
Despite the defeat, Salman remains optimistic about Pakistan winning their next few games. “There's a lot of positives - the way Fakhar batted, Farhan batted, and Harry bowled. Looking forward to the next game against Sri Lanka.”
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