Asia Cup: More than just a finale as India face Pakistan

CHENNAI: In every build-up to India-Pakistan cricket match, the narrative has always tended to be familiar. The biggest stage; it couldn't get any better than this… the list goes on. More often than not, the contests have ended up being one-sided, diluting the narrative and therefore, the tension in the build-up towards the match.

This Asia Cup, however, is different. Although the rivalry aspect may still heavily favour India, one can feel the heat in the air every time the two teams face off, largely for non-cricketing reasons. A lot has happened off the field than on it in the last three weeks or so as India beat Pakistan twice before getting ready to meet them again in the final.

From the handshake gate to not attending press conference to Indian captain dedicating the win to the armed forces and Pahalgam terror attack victims to Sahibzada Farhan's gun-fire celebrations and Haris Rauf's antics on the field, ACC and PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi’s social media posts have all added to the tension - and a rather unpleasant drama and anxious feeling - in the air.

Complaints were lodged against match referee Andy Pycroft, PCB threatened to pull out, delayed a match against UAE by an hour, and BCCI filed their grievance against Farhan and Rauf. It had been an eventful two weeks off the field in Dubai. Though verdicts were handed down and appeals were made, they had not been made public by the ICC or the respective boards.

Amidst all this, as India and Pakistan get ready to play each other yet again in the final — for the first time in the Asia Cup in 41 years — it is hard to ignore what has happened off the field and look at it purely as a cricketing contest. The stakes cannot be higher than this, even though a lot of it is because of non-cricketing reasons, for both teams. Perhaps for the first time since the 2011 ODI World Cup semifinal in Ahmedabad, there is a genuine tension in the air as to what will happen on the field, with the hope of nothing going wrong off it.

As much as India start as strong favourites on the field, the way Pakistan came hard in the super 4s contest will put the Men in Blue in a rather ultra-focussed zone. They would want to have the strongest XI possible with everyone bringing their best. And it starts at the top with skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who hasn't hit top gear yet. The same goes for Jasprit Bumrah as well.

There has been debate about Sanju Samson's batting position, how Axar Patel has been used and despite all that, India have managed to win all their games. There were also concerns about the fitness of Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya, but bowling coach Morne Morkel played it down after the win against Sri Lanka. "Hardik had cramps, he will be assessed tonight (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday) morning, we'll then take a call on that," Morkel said at the post-match press conference. "The key for the boys is to rest. They're in an ice bath already. The recovery started straight after the match. The best way to recover is sleep and stay off your feet. Hopefully they can get a good night's sleep," he added.

Meanwhile, for Pakistan, who managed to pull off a win against Bangladesh to qualify, it will be about sustaining any momentum they can gather and not letting India get back into the contest. They will have to be on top of every moment for the 40 overs to be able to beat India and clinch the Asia Cup title.

Over the last few weeks, the Men's T20 Asia Cup has grabbed more eyeballs and attention for all the wrong reasons and the controversies off the field. As the tournament concludes, one can only hope that it serves up a cracking contest in the finale. For that is what the sport and tournament need.

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