Dubai [UAE], September 11 : India captain Suryakumar Yadav was in awe of the "phenomenal" swashbuckler Abhishek Sharma for his selfless, belligerent act against the UAE at the Asia Cup on Wednesday. After inflicting carnage with ruthless aggression at the Dubai International Stadium, Suryakumar and his troops remain excited and look forward to the much-debated fixture against their arch-rival Pakistan on Sunday.
India broke the jinx of 15 consecutive toss defeats, a world record, and opted to field on a dry strip with a couple of cracks but covered in a layer of grass. Experts offered different perspectives while identifying the ideal choice. After a small banter with the UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem, Suryakumar decided to field.
The decision reaped rewards as Indian bowlers ran rampant, forcing the UAE to fade away on a trifling 57, the second-lowest in the history of the tournament. For Suryakumar, the logic behind his decision at the toss was simple: observing the way the wicket played out, which more or less retained its shape in the second innings as well.
"Wanted to see how the wicket was playing, it was the same in the second innings as well," Suryakumar said during the post-match presentation. India gunned down the target in 4.3 overs and sealed a nine-wicket win, which prompted Sanjay Manjrekar to joke about whether there would be a reduction in match fees, considering the game didn't last for even two hours. The Indian skipper hilariously replied, "That we will talk about later (laughs)."
Suryakumar outlined that the pitch appeared as a batting paradise, but its true nature remained on the slower side. Considering Dubai's scorching temperature, Suryakumar's theory of spinners enjoying more success turned out to be true with Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel sharing six wickets among themselves.
"It (the pitch) looked good, but it looked on the slower side. It is very hot here, so I thought spinners might have a bit more dominance, but nice support shown by Hardik, Bumrah and Dube," the Indian skipper highlighted.
While pursuing the paltry total, Abhishek adopted a belligerent approach and walloped 30 off 15 deliveries. His high-risk and high-reward approach ultimately led to his downfall, as he perished after holing out to Haider Ali off Junaid Khan.
"He is a phenomenal batter, and that is the reason he is the world number one (batter) right now. He keeps the team first, irrespective of the score, and that is unbelievable from him," he added.
With a superior net run rate of 10.480, India sent a bold statement to their nemesis, Pakistan and the rest of the participating nations. The Indian skipper had a simple message before the pulsating contest and said, "We are all excited, everyone wants to play a good game, and we are really looking forward to it."
The UAE captain Muhammad Waseem rued losing wickets in a cluster that left them wretched at 57. From standing in a comfortable position at 47/2, the rest of the batting unit combined to add just 10 runs before surrendering in 13.1 overs. The collective failure against the World Champions ensured that the UAE were fated to doom.
"We started well as a batting team, but we lost wickets in a cluster, which cost us the game. They are a brilliant team, and they are bowling very well. They are executing their plans for every batter, that's why they are the No.1 team. As a team, we will try to come back stronger and learn from our mistakes," Waseem said during the post-match presentation.
The prime architect behind the UAE's downfall was Kuldeep Yadav, who scalped three wickets in the ninth over, eventually finishing with figures of 4/7 in 2.1 overs. For his heroic effort, he was adjudged the Player of the Match.
Kuldeep credited strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux for assisting him in improving his fitness and said, "Thanks to Adrian, the trainer. I was working on my bowling and my fitness as well, and everything is going perfectly. Tried to hit the right length, and it matters a lot, reading the batters on what they are trying to do. Even today, as well, reacting to what the batters would do on the next ball."