India captain Suryakumar Yadav credited the first drinks break in the opening innings as the turning point in their Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash against Pakistan. He noted that the bowlers improved their line and length and displayed more positive body language after the break.
Sent in to bat, Pakistan got off to a strong start in the Dubai match on Sunday, September 21, reaching 91-1 at the halfway mark. However, the Men in Blue staged a brilliant comeback, restricting the opposition to 171/5 in 20 overs and then chasing the target in 18.5 overs.
At the post-match presentation, Suryakumar Yadav explained his decision to bowl first after winning the toss and praised his bowlers for turning the game around following a challenging start. He said:
“I felt the wicket would be the same for 40 overs, which was the case. The wicket always plays better under lights. The first drinks break in the first innings was the turning point. After the drinks break, players changed their body language and made a comeback. Usually the game changes after the powerplay. But today, the game changed after the 10th over when bowlers changed their line and lengths.”
“He’s Been Working Really Hard On His Bowling” – Suryakumar Yadav On Shivam Dube
Before the clash with Pakistan, doubts lingered over Shivam Dube’s bowling despite his three-wicket haul against the UAE in the group stage. Some analysts considered the medium pacer a potential weak spot in India’s bowling lineup. After the victory over Pakistan, Suryakumar expressed his support for Dube, saying:
“According to me, Shivam Dube’s spell could be considered the turning point of the game. He’s been working really hard on his bowling in all the practice sessions. This was the perfect game where he got an opportunity. He always wanted to bowl minimum two overs and today he got to bowl quota of full overs, so he was very happy. The way he delivered, I think he had clear plans.”
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