(UTV | INDIA) – Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja kept their cool under pressure to guide India to a five-wicket win over Pakistan in the 2022 Asia Cup at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Indian seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the important wicket of Babar Azam and ended with figures of 4-26 that helped India bundle Pakistan for 147.
He lauded his teammates and said ”the match was could have swung either way in the first 10 overs. After 10 overs the match was tight. We wanted Hardik Pandya to score and he did that. The match could have been close but Pandya and Jadeja both did the job pretty well,” said Kumar while addressing a post-match press conference.
Praising the team effort, he added, “I am very happy with the performance. It is not only wickets but bowling economical is also a contribution. The thought process is also very important in the game. You have to outsmart the bowler.”
”We bowl as per conditions. There was grass on the wicket. It was patchy grass that’s why we bowled first. The pitch helped us play. There was not much dew like it was during the World Cup,” he added.
The 32-year-old seamer said that India’s defeat to Pakistan was a past memory. ”We as a team and players have kept aside the defeat. People think more that the defeat against Pakistan in the previous game. We lost other matches too but the defeat against Pakistan is remembered more,” said Kumar.
Talking about his mindset when he ousted Babar, Kumar said, “Babar’s wicket was a big one for us. He played the anchor role. However, we didn’t get complacent after he fell. There were nine more wickets to get.”