Asia Cup: Kuldeep Takes Four Wickets As India Outclass UAE Khaleej Times

Having spent the entire English summer waiting for an opportunity to break into the Indian Test XI, Kuldeep Yadav finally got into the thick of things, albeit in a vastly different format.

The left-arm spinner was still not the centre of attention, though, for the Indian media contingent when Suryakumar Yadav walked into middle for the toss alongside his UAE counterpart, Muhammad Waseem.

Speculations were rife on whether Sanju Samson, who cut a forlorn figure in the pre-match warm-up session, will keep his place in the team.

Samson formed a wonderful opening partnership with swashbuckling Abhishek Sharma this year. But Shubman Gill's return to the T20 team following his glorious run with the bat in the England Test series put serious question marks over Samson's position.

In the end, Samson was named in the team, but the wicketkeeper-batter's contribution in India's opening Asia Cup game against the UAE at Dubai International Stadium was limited to two stumpings.

The beneficiary of one of the two stumpings was Kuldeep (2.1-0-7-4) whose guile and control proved unplayable for the inexperienced UAE team which slumped to a nine-wicket defeat.

The clinical Indian bowling attack never took its foot off the gas as the UAE were bowled out for just 57 in 13.1 overs - the lowest total by any team against India in T20Is.

With almost nothing to bowl for, the UAE bowlers then looked helpless as Abhishek (30 off 16 balls, 2 fours, 3 sixes) and Gill (20 not out off 9 balls, 2 fours, 1 six) played shots for fun.

While both entertained the half-packed stadium in their contrasting styles, a nonchalant flick over the deep square leg boundary from Gill took the cake.

Dancing down the wicket against pacer Muhammad Rohid, Gill used his wrist in sublime style, bringing back memories of Saeed Anwar, the legendary Pakistan opener who tormented fast bowlers with that shot in his heyday.

Batting collapse

After India won the first toss in 16 matches, a record of sorts, Kerala-born UAE opening batter Alishan Sharafu (22 off 17 balls, 3 fours, 1 six) raised hopes of putting up a fight against the reigning world champions.

The 22-year-old right-hander, who grew up admiring South African superstar AB de Villiers, played some fine shots..

But Sharafu was beaten for pace by a scorching yorker from Jasprit Bumrah which uprooted his stumps.

The onus was on skipper Muhammad Waseem (19), but the opener failed to connect a sweep shot against the dangerous Kuldeep to be caught plumb in front of the wicket.

The rest of the batters fell like nine pins as the UAE lost their last seven wickets for just 10 runs as Waseem was left lamenting the batting unit's meek surrender.

“We started well as a batting team but we lost wickets in a cluster, and that cost us the game,” the Pakistan-born player said.

“We can say that they (India) are a brilliant team and are bowling really well. They executed their plan for every batter. That is why they are the number one team.”

Kuldeep, on the other hand, was delighted to return to the team with a man-of-the-match winning performance.

“Not playing a lot in recent months was tough for me. But I kept working on my bowling and my fitness as well and everything was going perfect (tonight),” the left-arm spinner said.

Skipper Suryakumar said his team ticked all the boxes ahead of their high-voltage game against bitter rivals Pakistan on Sunday.

“Clinical performance from the buys. Wanted good energy and attitude in the field and that carried over into the batting. Now we all are excited (for the next game against pakistan). Everyone wants to play a good game and we are really looking forward to it,” he said.

The UAE, meanwhile, will hope to produce a much better performance in their next game against Oman.

“As a team, we have to learn from these mistakes, and hopefully we can come back stronger,” he said.

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