TimesofIndia.com in Dubai: India captain Suryakumar Yadav hit the winning runs on Sunday as the defending Asia Cup champions pulled off a comfortable win over Paksitan in the heavily anticipated Group A clash. Following his side’s second consecutive win in the competition, the 35-year-old stated that his team’s focus remained strictly on cricket after they skipped the traditional post-match handshakes with Pakistan players in Dubai. “We took a call. We came here just to play the game,” Suryakumar told reporters when asked about the decision that drew attention after India’s emphatic seven-wicket win.Posed with the question of the hour – as to why Team India did not shake hands with the opposition, he replied, “Few things in life are ahead of sportsman spirit also.” The skipper also weighed in on the toss, after Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha opted to bat on a dry surface. “I also wanted to bowl first. In the second innings in last match against UAE, the wicket became better. We also wanted to bowl,” he said. India’s bowlers justified that decision, as they managed to restrict their rivals to 127/9. With just one lead pacer in their XI, the spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy dismantled Pakistan’s batting. The three combined for six wickets to leave the opposition struggling for runs. Suryakumar praised their effort, saying, “They bowled 12 overs. All three of them have worked really hard. They were clear with their plans. Good to see all the three spinners firing.” Pakistan’s innings never really recovered after early blows from Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. Sahibzada Farhan led the scoring for his side with 40, while Shaheen Shah Afridi’s late cameo of 33 not out pushed the total into three figures. On Pakistan’s weakness in the game, Suryakumar observed, “We bowled well and batted as per the demand of the wicket.” In reply, India chased down the target in 15.5 overs. Abhishek Sharma’s 31 off 13 balls set the tone before Suryakumar himself anchored the innings with an unbeaten 47, closing out the game with a six. Tilak Varma contributed 31 in a steady stand with his captain.
Asked about handling the noise around such a charged contest, the skipper said the squad had kept distractions away. “In my team, we decided to cut the outside noise. I don’t know what is happening on the social media,” he said after the match.
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With the win, India solidified their place at the top of Group A, while Pakistan were left to regroup for their next outing against hosts United Arab Emirates.