India completely annihilated bitter rivals Pakistan in their Asia Cup match on Sunday at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, clinching a comprehensive 7-wicket win in a tense battle. The impressive victory was masterminded by Indian spinners who tore through Pakistan's batting attack, restricting them to 127/9 in 20 overs. Pakistan decided to bat after winning the toss, but the decision backfired, with Indian spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel exploiting the conditions pretty well. Meanwhile, in their pursuit of the target, India went over the line in 15.5 overs, with captain Suryakumar Yadav making 47 not out.
Speaking after the game during the press conference, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson shed light on Pakistan's struggle against India.
"We didn't bat well enough. That's the reality. Whether we batted first or second, we weren't good enough with the bat. We left ourselves probably 20 or 30 [runs] short, and we all know through those middle overs we got squeezed. Lots to work on against a good bowling attack, but I was pleased the way the guys fought hard in the field, albeit with a score that wasn't enough."
Pakistan's next game is against UAE on Wednesday, which will play a huge role in their qualification for the Super Fours Stage. And if Pakistan advance to the Super Fours, then they will once again meet India next Sunday.
"We'll turn up in three days' time. We need to play better than we did today with both ball and bat. We need to be more disciplined with the ball early on. I was actually really pleased with the way we fought in the field, where we showed a huge amount of character. We're going to need a lot more of that on Wednesday. If we do that, we're hopeful of having another crack in the Super 4s, where we're going to have to play better cricket than we did tonight. I've certainly got confidence in this group," Hesson said.