Salman Ali Agha Reflects on Pakistan's Shortcomings in Asia Cup Defeat

Dubai, Sep 22 (PTI) - Pakistan's captain, Salman Ali Agha, acknowledged that his team fell short across all facets in their Asia Cup Super 4 defeat to India. While the batting showed promise early on, challenges emerged post the initial 10 overs. Pakistan, starting strong with 91 runs in the first 10 overs, struggled later, adding only 80 in the subsequent 10. Shivam Dube made a notable impact with a three-over spell taking two wickets for just 16 runs. Salman remarked, "Our batting improved today, which is a positive takeaway. Considering our start, we should have added another 15 runs in total. But after the first 10 overs, as the ball softens, batting becomes challenging."

He further acknowledged shortcomings in their powerplay bowling, which resulted in an uphill battle. "Our initial performance should have led us to a total of 180," Salman added. Indian openers, Abhishek Sharma with 74 and Shubman Gill on 47, set the stage for India's controlled chase of 172, both performing impressively against the Pakistani bowlers. "In bowling or batting, we aim for an impeccable performance. Securing a win requires proficiency across all areas, and today we faltered in fielding and our initial bowling approach," Salman admitted.

Moving forward, Salman encouraged his team to shift focus from this loss and prepare for their upcoming game against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. "We must move past this match quickly as our next challenge is in two days. We aspire to perform better in that fixture." During the middle overs, from 10 to 17, Pakistan managed only 38 runs, struggling to find boundaries until some late contributions from Faheem Ashraf (20 not out) and Mohammed Nawaz (21) lifted their total past 170.

Salman noted the challenge for new batters on these wickets, stressing the need for established players to hold their ground till the end. Changes in the squad saw Hussain Talat replacing Hasan Nawaz, but Talat succumbed to wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav. When asked if Mohammad Haris might have been a preferable option, Salman maintained confidence in Talat. "Hussain Talat excels against spinners. At that junction, adopting a right-left combination was strategic to challenge their bowlers," he explained.

Regarding Fakhar Zaman's questionable caught-behind dismissal, Salman conceded that on-field umpires might err, admitting he could be mistaken about whether the catch was clean. "Umpires can make errors. It seemed from my view that the ball bounced before reaching the keeper. I might be wrong, as could the umpire. Fakhar's batting, if uninterrupted, could have led us to a 190 score," Salman suggested, respecting that these decisions lie with the umpires.