After a gap of six long years, every cricket fan felt frisky after Indian team’s fine display against Pakistan in Dubai. The rival team’s cricketers could not face our efficient bowlers on the pitch, which was more like, as veteran Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram said, a home ground for his cricket team ever since a decade.
According to former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, the traditional arch-rivalry was also wholly shattered with this massive win. This unique outcome will also strengthen other cricketers’ optimism. The cricket team will try to continue its wins in the ensuing matches. They will not look at it as a much harder job – as several believed.
If Indian team remains consistent like they were in this remarkable triumph, it will make the way for a promising final result. If Pakistan could not match our rather typical batting and bowling skills, there is a slight chance for a formidable fight from other not-so-strong cricket teams. Other participating teams at the Asia Cup could be unique in their particular skills, but if their overall performance on the cricket field is not equivalent, well, what benefit will it be of in any case? Our cricket team definitely have an edge on other opponent teams.
Disciplined bowling by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kedar Jadhav and Jaspreet Bumrah, forced Pak players to surrender completely. If Kuldeep’s googly to contain Babar Azam was the match’s turning point, Jadhav’s special side-arm off deliveries smashed the lower middle order batting. And evidently, Pakistan never recovered from its batting collapse.
Though Pakistan won the toss, it chose to bat. This strategic decision by Captain Sarfraz resulted in an unexpected fall of wickets one after the other. Pakistan lost its two initial vital wickets at a score of mere three short runs. It now remains as the seventh success in the Asia Cup. Pakistan scored the lowest total of 162 runs in 43.1 overs on the fifth occasion.