Unbeaten and unstoppable: India’s journey to Asia Cup glory

1073 runs scored, 53 wickets taken, seven matches won. Numbers which might seem straight from cricketing folklore were right in front of us and the consequence?

Team India were the Asia Cup champions for the 9th time. Was it out and out dominance? Truth be told, it wasn’t. There were moments where the Indian fans had their hearts in their mouths.

India’s finest, Jasprit Bumrah looked uncharacteristically off colour. India’s prized fielding unit wasn’t at its best. The Indian middle-order came with its own set of challenges.

To add to their woes, Hardik Pandya was ruled out of the final. Complications were aplenty. However, the Men in Blue knew one thing very well and that was to cross the finish line. They got lucky at times but that is also necessary in a journey to the peak.

It all started with a dominant display against UAE. India rolled over UAE for a paltry 57. The Indian spinners rode high while their batters would bring the curtains down on the game even before the fifth over was done. Not only was it a statement win but it also set the platform perfectly for India’s next clash against their arch-rivals, Pakistan.

India didn’t flinch at all against the Men in Green. It was a cakewalk for the Indian bowlers who restricted them to a mere 127. India cantered away with the bragging rights without any fuss at all. The first challenge that truly left India scratching their caps came from Oman.

Batting first, India could pile up 188/8. Even though Suryakumar Yadav didn’t bat in the innings, Oman had their fleeting moments of glory.

When they came out to bat, the Indian bowlers had their fair shares of challenges. Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza pushed the Men in Blue to the very edge but calculative modulations towards the end combined with an excellent over from Hardik Pandya, sealed India the much-needed win.

The Super Fours once again started with a clash against Pakistan and despite too many dropped catches and a bit of bowling catastrophe up front, an Abhishek Sharma-masterclass saw India chronicling history as they registered the highest successful chase by an Indian team against Pakistan in T20Is.

Things shifted to a whole new dimension against Sri Lanka, who were in phenomenal touch throughout the game. Batting first, India totted up their first 200 of the tournament. Abhishek Sharma was once again brilliant, clobbering a 31-ball-61 while Tilak Varma provided a late flourish.

However, Sri Lanka had other plans and got off to a roaring start. Pathum Nissanka led the charge for the Lankans with a fantastic century while Kusal Perera’s half-century offered them solidity.

After much tug-of-war, the game ended in a tie and the consequent Super Over saw India snatch away a victory emphatically.

Up next in the long queue of opponents for Team India was Bangladesh. Abhishek Sharma’s fiery overture gave India a fine tempo forward which saw them putting up a fighting total in the end, despite things getting shaky in the center.

However, the Indian bowlers reigned supreme despite Saif Hassan’s warring 69. Kuldeep Yadav was the star of the lot, clinching three wickets for just 18 runs while Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy shared four wickets between them. Unbeaten en route to the finale, India squared off against Pakistan in the summit clash.

The final saw Pakistan get off to a fine start as they were cruising at 113/1. However, the Indian bowlers had other plans to disrupt Pakistan’s free-flowing run. As soon as Kuldeep Yadav removed Saim Ayub, the Indian bowlers were roaring and ramming through the flood gates. The Men in Blue skittled out Pakistan up for just 146, an innings in which they lost nine wickets for 33 runs.

Kuldeep Yadav spearheaded the Indian charge with a four-fer. India had an early hiccup, losing three quick wickets in the powerplay. However, the Men in Blue were back in the chase, thanks to a lifeline and a decent partnership between Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma. Despite the fall of Samson, Varma continued India’s charge alongside an incoming Shivam Dube. The two saw off any possible bumps along the road, while it was Rinku Singh who delivered the final zinger, securing India their ninth Asia Cup title.

It was a fabulous journey for the Men in Blue even though it wasn’t as smooth as it was expected to be. However, a team in transition needs to go through a lot of phases to get themselves back at their sensational best and this was a tournament that tested the youth of India but they came out in flying colours to clinch the continental crown.