Pakistan Reach Asia Cup Final vs India
Pakistan Beat Bangladesh to Seal Historic Asia Cup Final Clash with India
Dubai — Pakistan booked their place in the Asia Cup final for the first time against arch-rivals India after securing a tense 11-run victory over Bangladesh in their Super Four clash on Thursday.
Head coach Mike Hesson downplayed the political undertones that have overshadowed recent India-Pakistan encounters, urging his players to keep their focus firmly on cricket.
“My message to the team is simple — concentrate on the game. These are high-pressure matches, and passion will always be there, but our job is to play cricket,” said Hesson, the former New Zealand coach.
The tournament has already seen tempers flare. India declined to shake hands with Pakistan after both the group and Super Four matches. Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav drew criticism for a political gesture in the first meeting, while Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf responded with aggressive celebrations in the second.
On the field, India has dominated the rivalry, winning both earlier matches — by seven wickets in the group stage and by six wickets in the Super Four round — extending their unbeaten streak against Pakistan to seven games since 2022.
Acknowledging the challenge ahead, Hesson said his team would need to raise its game to topple the defending champions.
“We have to be relentless if we want to beat India. They are ranked number one for a reason, and our task is to put them under pressure for longer periods,” he said.
Pakistan’s batting has struggled against India in this tournament. They managed just 127-9 in the first game, which India chased down with ease. Their second performance was stronger but still fell short, with Abhishek Sharma’s blistering 74 off 39 balls sealing another Indian win.
“Compared to the first game, our second outing against India was a big step up,” Hesson noted. “We controlled large parts of that match until Sharma’s exceptional innings took it away from us.”
Despite the setbacks, Hesson believes his side has earned its place in the final.
“We’ve worked hard for this chance. Now it’s about making the most of the opportunity and giving ourselves the best shot at the trophy.”
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