“Where’s my cake?” Suryakumar Yadav laughed as he walked into the post-match press room in Dubai. India’s stand-in captain had just turned 35 – and had just overseen a seven-wicket win over Pakistan that keeps his side on course for the Super 4s.
Key points first
• India restricted Pakistan to 127 for 9, their three spinners sharing 6 for 60.
• Jasprit Bumrah bowled three overs inside the powerplay for the second game running.
• Abhishek Sharma’s brisk start and Suryakumar’s unbeaten 47 wrapped up the chase with 25 balls left.
Spinners set the tone
Suryakumar was quick to shift attention away from his own runs towards Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy. “I gave all of them 12 overs combined – it was a return gift from me,” he joked. “They’re all working hard; you can see it at practice. They want to prepare really well. Once you come to the ground, you can see how well they’re prepared. And they’re very clear with their plans – that’s what I want.”
All three varied pace rather than searching for extravagant turn. Kuldeep, who took 3 for 23, drew particular praise from former Pakistan quick Wahab Riaz. “Kuldeep always one step ahead of batters,” Wahab observed on television duty, noting how the left-arm wrist-spinner kept Fakhar Zaman pinned on the crease with a flatter trajectory and only then tossed one up that turned.
Match-ups but not shackles
Reliance on data can sometimes look rigid, yet Suryakumar insisted India’s use of Axar against Zaman – a left-arm spinner to a left-hand batter – was planned. “We prepare well for every team. The coaches – we all sit together, see if there are left-handers, right-handers, how to bowl in the middle, how to start in powerplay,” he explained. “All this comes with preparation, so when we go on the field, everything moves on autopilot.”
Axar’s figures (2-0-12-1) were tidy rather than spectacular, though analyst-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra felt they underlined the bowler’s consistency. Axar Patel “hasn’t put a foot wrong in the last 24 months,” Chopra said. “He doesn’t really try too many things – that brings control.”
Bumrah up front – an attacking ploy
The other talking point was Bumrah opening with three overs, something he rarely does in T20Is. “Till today, we’ve bowled him two overs in the powerplay, he’s never bowled three in the powerplay,” Suryakumar noted. “We’re very happy using him as an attacking option. If he picks two wickets, even if he bowls a tight spell of his overs, later on we can have a good cushion for all the spinners to come over and make our job a little easier.”
According to the captain, the fast bowler is fully on board. “He’s very happy with it [this plan]. Few days, if he has to bowl only two overs, he’ll bowl only two overs,” Suryakumar added, hinting that match situation rather than a rigid template will dictate usage.
How the chase unfolded
Pakistan’s 127 never looked enough after Abhishek cracked 32 off 18 balls in the powerplay. A brief wobble at 52 for 2 was steadied by Suryakumar and Tilak Varma, the pair milking the gaps rather than swinging for the fences. Only Shaheen Shah Afridi, who removed both openers, found consistent nip under the lights.
A grounded dressing-room
Despite consecutive wins, India are guarded. “It’s a long tournament,” Kuldeep said in a TV flash interview. “One good night doesn’t mean the job is done.” That sentiment was echoed by coach Rahul Dravid, watching from the dug-out with a typically impassive expression.
Pakistan, meanwhile, rued soft dismissals. Babar Azam acknowledged that his side had mis-read the surface. “We were 20 short. Credit to their spinners; they didn’t give us any release ball,” he admitted.
Looking ahead
India meet Bangladesh next. Expect the same bowling template unless conditions scream otherwise. As for Suryakumar’s birthday cake, a member of the support staff eventually appeared with a modest chocolate sponge. The skipper grinned, took a small bite and, in true middle-order style, quickly passed it around.
“Team game,” he said.
