Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

‘Battle worth watching’: Reaction to India’s win over Pakistan

‘Battle worth watching’: Reaction to India’s win over Pakistan

How former players, fans reacted to India’s close win over Pakistan at the Asia Cup in Dubai.

India’s win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup on Sunday has been termed as “a battle that is worth watching” by former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi.

Thousands thronged the Dubai cricket stadium, braving the heat, humidity and long walk to the venue given the security cordon.

It was the 10th time the sides met in a T20 International, with India having won seven of the nine previous meetings.



Pakistan, however, came in at the back of a thumping 10-wicket win the last time these two sides met – a T20 World Cup clash at the same venue in October last year.

A capacity crowd, including former cricketers and Bollywood actors, cheered both teams as they resumed their 74-year-old rivalry.

But it was Bhuvneshwar Kumar first and then all-rounder Hardik Pandya who ensured Pakistan did not go away with back-to-back wins over their neighbours, winning praise from former India captains Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.



Pandya, the 28-year-old all-rounder, took three crucial wickets, including that of Pakistan’s top-scorer Mohammad Rizwan, and scored 34 runs off 17 balls to take India home.

The winning runs, a six in the final over of the match, sent the Indian-majority crowd in a frenzy and left Pakistan wondering what could have been.

Pandya said staying calm in a tense situation helped him complete a successful run-chase.

“It’s important to assess the situation and use your weapons,” Pandya said in his post-match comments.

“When it comes to batting, the chances I take when executing, I’m likelier to pull it off when I’m calmer. I knew they had Nawaz waiting to bowl, and while we needed seven, even if we needed 15, I would have fancied my chances. I feel the bowler is under a lot more pressure than me. I just needed one six in that final over. I try to keep things simple.”


India’s star batsman and former captain Virat Kohli was among the top scorers for India.

Kohli, who became only the second cricketer to reach the 100-match milestone in all three formats of international cricket, had been going through a lean patch – no 100 since 2019 – and had been out of the side for more than a month.

Kohli’s dry spell with the bat had been a cause of concern for the Indian fans but he received support from his peers, most noticeably Pakistan captain Babar Azam.


His return to form did not go unnoticed as fans hailed his performance in his 100th T20I.


Pakistan missed the services of their star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is out of the tournament with a shoulder injury.

Afridi watched from the stands as his team was unable to repeat their success from last year’s clash against India where he starred with three wickets.

In the build-up to the match, Afridi was seen chatting with Indian players as he watched his teammates during a practice session.


Both teams will play their remaining group match against Hong Kong later this week.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
×