A fixture that was feared to be a potential tinderbox turned into a damp squib as India outplayed Pakistan in the Asia Cup in Dubai.
For those whose job it was to police the game, it was ideal. But as a sporting spectacle, it underwhelmed. The atmosphere was more flat than febrile.
The complete lack of jeopardy made for an absence of tension in the stands – which were not even full for the majority of the game.
That had always felt likely to be the case, anyway. Fixtures between these two sides might always be hotly anticipated. But when staged in Dubai, they are usually played out in good humour between the opposing fans.
This time was a little different, though. Political tensions between the two countries have been acute since the attack in Indian administered Kashmir six months ago.
Many had not wanted – or expected – the game to go ahead, and throughout the day, #BoycottAsiaCup and #BoycottINDvPAK had been trending on social media.
Dubai Police had publicly announced security measures the day before the game, and in the hours leading up to the start, the message was repeated.
A public safety alert was sent to all mobile phones in the vicinity of Dubai Sports City. “Your adherence to the instructions of the police and private security is a means to protect everyone,” the message read.
In the fifth over of the second innings, at 9pm, a second missive arrived by the same means. “We remind everyone to comply with the instructions and guidelines issued by the police and private security, to adhere to the designated exit routes,” it said.
Yes, it had already reached the point where people would have been making their exit plan, so far ahead of the game were India.
The fact they were chasing as much as 128-9 was thanks largely to a brief but effective show of resistance by Shaheen Afridi.
The tailender hit four sixes in his 16-ball cameo at the end of the Pakistan innings. It brought him 33 not out, and at least notionally gave him and his fellow bowlers something to bowl at.
But when Abhishek Sharma then dished out the same sort of treatment to Shaheen that the tall left-armer had just meted out to Hardik Pandya, Pakistan’s hopes seemed immediately forlorn again.
Abhishek made 31 in 13 balls, which included two remarkable sixes off Shaheen. Even though he was there for a good time rather than a long time, he set the tone for a rampant display by India in the chase.
It was hardly a tough examination. India’s spinners had ensured that would be the case: Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav took 6-60 in 12 overs between them.
The latter was again the pick, adding 3-18 to the 4-7 he had taken in India’s opening match thrashing of the UAE.
After the flier Abhishek gave them in response, all India had to do was cruise. Without raising the pulses of those who stuck around to see it, Suryakumar Yadav (47 not out) took his India side to a seven-wicket win with 25 balls to spare.
