For all the fireworks with the bat, India’s fielding display against Pakistan in Dubai was anything but flawless. Four chances went down on crucial moments, and fielding coach T. Dilip wore a look of visible frustration. Yet, India still walked off with a six-wicket win in the Asia Cup Super Four clash, thanks largely to Abhishek Sharma’s blazing 74.
But what was fascinating was how Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav handled the situation in the post-match press conference. He accepted the mistakes but the jest in his reply was hilarious to witness.
Humorous Suryakumar Yadav on catch drops
When asked about the errors, captain Suryakumar Yadav didn’t dodge. Instead, he lit up the room with humour: “Acha bhi puch lo (Ask some positive query as well). It’s okay. I think fielding coach has already emailed the boys to visit the office tomorrow and day after — all those guys who had butter fingers,” he quipped. The laughter in the press room summed up how India, despite sloppy moments, dominated the contest.
Suryakumar, though, was quick to frame the issue in perspective. He stressed that dropped catches are part of the game and insisted it was better they came early in the Super Four stage rather than in the knockouts. “It’s good that it happened in the first game. Going ahead we have to play more crucial games, but it’s okay. It happens,” he added.
Abhishek’s redemption arc
Abhishek Sharma, whose night began with two spilled chances, ensured his story didn’t end there. He pulled off a sensational running dive to dismiss Saim Ayub, a moment that partly erased earlier missteps. Then with the bat, he turned tormentor once again, hammering Pakistan’s pacers in a 39-ball 74 that defined the chase. He gave it with both bat and ball.
India’s list of lapses was long. Abhishek’s early misjudgment at third man, Kuldeep Yadav’s sitter at short fine-leg, another tough one put down by Abhishek, and finally Shubman Gill’s miss in the deep. Sahibzada Farhan, dropped twice, punished India with a gritty fifty. Yet the drops became footnotes rather than headlines, thanks to India’s commanding chase.
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