In a nerve-wracking Super Four showdown of the Asia Cup 2025, India overcame early jitters and fielding lapses to secure a commanding six-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday in Dubai. Despite several dropped catches at crucial junctures, the team showed commendable grit to bounce back and dominate the encounter.
The much-anticipated clash, already simmering with tension after the handshake controversy during their group-stage meeting, saw India faltering in the field in the first innings. However, they came out victorious in the end, overcoming challenging moments. Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, weighing in on the situation, felt that the added pressure surrounding the match—particularly due to the off-field tension stemming from the group-stage handshake incident—may have unsettled the Indian players momentarily.
"I think, after all the halla-bullu that happened after the last game, the pressure was definitely on the Indians. Maybe it showed on the field, as they dropped relatively simple catches. Of course, there were some difficult ones, but the standard we see today makes even tough chances look simple," Gavaskar told India Today.
"Yes, the pressure was on India to win this game in style, especially given everything that happened last Sunday. In this way, they showed they have the temperament to handle all that and deliver under pressure," he said.
Put into bat, Pakistan posted a competitive total of 171/1in 20 overs, with Sahibzada Farhan scoring a brilliant 58 off 45. India, on the other hand, chased down the target in 18.5 overs after openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill forged a staggering 105-run partnership to take India over the line. Abhishek and Gill fired 74 and 47 runs, respectively.