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Suryakumar Yadav spent most of his 35th birthday fielding questions about spin, and with good reason. India went into Sunday’s Asia Cup match in Dubai with three frontline tweakers and just one seamer, the same balance that under-pinned their Champions Trophy success earlier in the year. Pakistan managed 127 for 8; India replied with 131 for 3, winning with 25 balls to spare.
“That’s what happened a few months back – our team that won the Champions Trophy, they set the tone,” Suryakumar reminded everyone at the presentation. “But I am always a fan of spinners, because they control the game in the middle and post-powerplay [overs], and I think all the spinners were amazing.”
Kuldeep Yadav (3 for 18), Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy shared six wickets while part-timer Abhishek Sharma chipped in with a tidy over. Between them the spinners gave up only 65 runs in 13 overs, throttling a Pakistan line-up that never quite got to grips with the surface. Mohammad Rizwan fought to 41 but lost partners at regular intervals; Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam both holed out trying to force the pace.
Kuldeep’s spell was the decisive passage. The left-arm wrist-spinner removed Rizwan with a googly, then sent Mohammad Nawaz back first ball. “You just have to think who is batting on the crease and react to what they are doing, what their strength is and what they like to play,” he said. “Just follow that, and obviously I had my plans and just executed them.”
Two wickets in two balls naturally raised talk of another hat-trick – he already has two in ODIs – but Kuldeep says the thought process remains simple. “First ball is always wicket-taking ball, you know, you just have to go with that mindset and try to execute that wicket-taking ball,” he explained. “Because whoever is batting is obviously new on the crease or maybe set, but yeah, he’s facing you the first time in the game and probably you have the chance to get on top of him.”
Despite topping the tournament wicket charts he still sees room for improvement. “I still think I need to really work on my bowling as well. Sometimes I feel that I try too many variations, but I have to learn day by day and game by game. I still think there’s a lot of room to improve in.”
Pakistan’s 127 felt light, even under lights. Shaheen Shah Afridi snatched two early wickets, including Virat Kohli for a run-a-ball 17, yet the chase rarely looked in doubt once Suryakumar joined Shubman Gill. The pair added 62 in eight overs, running hard and punishing anything short. Gill fell for 43 but Suryakumar stayed the course, finishing 47 not out and launching the winning six over long-on.
“It’s a great feeling and it’s a perfect return gift for India,” the captain said, grinning as team-mates sang Happy Birthday in the background. “This is one box I always wanted to tick, stay there till the end, and it was the need of the hour today. And love to stay not out till the end.”
India now lead the T20I head-to-head against Pakistan 11-3, though Suryakumar tried to downplay the figure. “For me, and for my boys, and for the whole team, I feel it’s just another game,” he insisted. “We come on the ground, we prepare for all the oppositions, and that’s how we go about it.”
For all the talk of calm heads, the celebration in the Indian dressing-room told its own story. A win over Pakistan, on a captain’s birthday, delivered with a six into the crowd – it won’t be forgotten quickly. The bigger takeaway, however, may be the reaffirmation that on slow UAE pitches India see spin, not pace, as their primary weapon. The formula worked in the Champions Trophy; it continues to work here. Pakistan, like the other semi-final hopefuls, now have 48 hours to think of a counter before the next meeting.
