Really proud of how the guys carried themselves despite the pressure: India’s assistant coach
India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate praised his team’s calm demeanor during Sunday’s tense Asia Cup Super 4s clash against Pakistan, despite some provocative moves from the opponents. The match, which India won by six wickets in their first victory of the tournament, saw Pakistani players resort to gestures that could have easily rattled the visitors.
After reaching his half-century, Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan mimicked firing a gun with his bat, while bowler Haris Rauf made a controversial airplane gesture—seemingly nodding to unfounded claims about downing Indian jets in Operation Sindoor. But India’s players stayed focused, letting their strong cricket do the talking on the field.
Ten Doeschate lauded the squad’s maturity under intense pressure. “We’re really proud of how the guys carried themselves despite all that,” he said. “There’s so much pressure on these players because of the situation—it’s tough to keep your cool. I saw what Haris did, but that’s not our issue. They fought back with their bats and in the field. Other teams might have gripes with us too, but we’re thrilled with how our players have handled everything in the Asia Cup.”
Shifting gears to team strategy, ten Doeschate revealed confidence in Sanju Samson stepping up as the No. 5 batter, even though the wicketkeeper-batsman typically thrives higher up the order and struggled for runs against Pakistan. With Shubman Gill locked in as vice-captain and opener alongside Abhishek Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma solid at Nos. 3 and 4, Samson has little choice but to adapt lower down.
The coach backed Samson fully, saying the management sees him as the right fit. “We believe Sanju’s the best guy for that role, and we’ve got no doubt he’ll figure it out and make the most of his chances moving forward.” This setup highlights India’s evolving batting lineup as they push deeper into the Asia Cup.
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