 "India vs Pakistan: Surya and Co chase perfect game in Asia Cup final, Men in Green aim to ride emotional wave to trophy")
Pakistan coach Mike Hesson and some of his wards huddled in the team room at their hotel on Friday night, watching India’s final Super Four encounter against Sri Lanka with interest. If they were looking for clues on how to tame the rampaging Indian beast, they wouldn’t have been too much the wiser.
Sure, led by the wonderful Pathum Nissanka, Sri Lanka ran their mighty opponents close. Too close for comfort, actually. With a little more commonsense and a little less panic, the islanders might have walked away with a consolation victory in regulation time from the second stage of the T20 Asia Cup. But once the game went into the Super Over, there was only one winner.
Hesson and the players will have witnessed Abhishek Sharma take the Lankans to the cleaners in the Powerplay, but that’s nothing new. Pakistan have been at the receiving end of the left-hander’s blitzkrieg in both faceoffs. They will have taken note of another failure for Suryakumar Yadav, the once-feared Indian captain whose struggles are beginning to enhance the frown lines on head coach Gautam Gambhir’s face.
They will have noticed, with mounting concern, middle-order runs – not exactly India’s strongest suit this tournament – from Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson. They would have gleefully rejoiced in the pounding Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana took, though that delight will have been tempered by the realisation that neither will play the final if all other things are equal.
They will have seen, perhaps with a certain satisfaction, Hardik Pandya and then Abhishek leave the field in the first half of the Sri Lankan chase with what we have since been told ( by bowling coach Morne Morkel) was cramps. Maybe they will hope at least one, if not both, don’t recover sufficiently for Sunday’s title clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium though chances are that that hope will not translate into reality.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThey will have marvelled, one is sure, at the ability of wrist-spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, to impose themselves at a crucial stage of the contest – both went at 8.25 apiece when the going rate was 10 an over. They will, therefore, know that despite not being at their strongest or anywhere close to their best, India don’t roll over and surrender when that might appear the only logical outcome.
Third time lucky for Pakistan?
Pakistan have been tamed by their arch-rivals from across the border twice in the last two Sundays, both times when they were setting a target. Decidedly timid with the bat in the Group A confrontation when they limped to 127 for nine on September 14, Salman Agha’s men displayed greater enterprise and intent in the Super Four clash. But they came seriously unstuck between overs 10.1 and 17, when the boundaries dried up, rotation of strike went out of fashion and India were all over them with the unlikely figure of Shivam Dube rocking them with a spell of two for 16.
If they are honest to themselves, Pakistan will concede that they have been outplayed. Outclassed. Overwhelmed and overpowered. That India have played almost like one would expect the No. 1 outfit in the world that they are to while they themselves, despite their avowed commitment to positivity and aggression, haven’t matched words with deeds.
But the beauty of sport is that it offers a second chance. And even a third one, in this case. In an unprecedented first when the two teams run into each other for the third time in a single tournament, Pakistan will sense a glorious opportunity to lay the demons to rest, to exorcise the ghosts of September 14 and 21, to make their first title clash against India in the Asia Cup memorable for all the right reasons.
Men in Blue yet to produce their A game
But that’s only if India are willing to play ball. India’s perfect game is still ahead of them, despite their perfect six and zero record. Even though they have been convincing (except in the first 10 overs with the ball against Sri Lanka), they haven’t been on top of their game. From time to time, there have been mistakes with the bat, errors in the field and lack of discipline with the ball. That they are still sitting on a 6-0 scoreline is tribute to their strength and resilience. Champion outfits don’t take kindly to being pushed to a corner, hence the stunning late fightback against the Lankans when all seemed lost.
As much as Pakistan, India too will realise that previous seven- and six-wicket victories will have no meaning if they don’t get over the line on Sunday. It won’t be just because that’s what millions back home expect of them; they are mindful that the mood of a nation depends on them (which is a mighty burden to carry for a bunch of young men) but they are also an extremely proud unit determined to make winning a habit.
Since Pakistan’s stuttering conquest of Bangladesh on Thursday which confirmed their place in the final, there have been suggestions that the pressure will be on India, that Salman Agha’s men don’t have anything to lose. As a theory, it’s difficult to pick holes in that line of thought, but both sides are bound by the realisation that if India play anywhere close to their full potential, they will be impossible to stop. This, despite their multiple travails, not least those of their captain whose bat has been in cold storage except in the first match against Pakistan, when he made 47 not out.
SKY’s form remains a worry
It’s funny how the cricketing gods choose to express themselves. Suryakumar has an outstanding captaincy record – India have lost just two of 21 matches after he assumed full-time charge in July last year – but his batting form since assuming the reins has taken a spectacular nosedive. He averages a little more than 19 in 19 innings (329 runs) and has discovered interesting ways of courting failure. The iridescence of Abhishek, the magic of his two wristies and the presence of Jasprit Bumrah, hitting his straps at the right time, have helped mask his struggles, but the captain knows he owes his team several.
Suryakumar has been in Pakistan’s crosshairs from the time he refused to shake hands with Agha at the toss a fortnight ago. His comments in the immediacy of the seven-wicket victory in that fixture, both at the post-match presentation and in the press conference, incensed Pakistan enough for them to lodge a formal complaint that compelled the ICC to direct match referee Richie Richardson to hold a formal enquiry on Thursday. Word is that the Mumbaikar has been fined though there is no official confirmation. If Suryakumar was looking for added motivation…
Pakistan have shown themselves to be adept at embracing moral indignation and outrage. They have endured abortive attempts to get Andy Pycroft removed as match referee, they have seen their threat to boycott the tournament fall flat on its face. They haven’t covered themselves in glory by turning up an hour late (without sanctions) for the group clash against UAE and two of their players, Sahibzada Farhan and the combative Haris Rauf, themselves attended Friday hearings by Pycroft for aggressive, unbecoming gestures.
They have attempted to play down India’s dominance despite reality dictating otherwise, they are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to whip themselves into a frenzy and become supercharged in the hope that they can ride an emotional wave to the trophy.
Man for man, India are the better side. Even if Pakistan manage to catch them on an off-day, victory for Agha’s men will constitute a gargantuan upset. It’s precisely this banana skin India will be determined to avoid because if they do slip up, their tournament will unfortunately be defined by that one game.
No pressure, lads. None at all.
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