You talk, we win. Well, at least Abhishek Sharma was half right.
The extraordinary 25-year-old opener was the main character in the latest drama, as India crushed Pakistan at Dubai International Stadium for the second time in a week.
So dominant was their six-wicket win in the Asia Cup on Sunday night that it is becoming difficult to argue with Suryakumar Yadav’s gloating subsequent assessment. Because India do do their share of talking, too.
“This is not a rivalry anymore,” the smiling India captain said to sign off his valedictory press conference, citing how one-way the results have been lately.
Maybe not. But it is difficult to couch the Indo-Pak cricket relationship in terms that are anything other than synonyms for rivalry. Feud, enmity, conflict, tussle. It is all of those, and ever increasingly toxic, too.
The first match between the two sides a week ago had been played in good terms in the stands, and a seemingly passable enough spirit on the field, too. At least until India’s players shunned the post-match handshakes.
Then India basically sat back and let Pakistan unravel after that. While Pakistan spent the week looking for scapegoats – PCB officials, ICC match referees, obviously the whole of India – the Indian players chilled. Switch your phone off and go to sleep, was the gist of Suryakumar’s advice to his teammates.
The Indians did not have a game for the next five days themselves, while Pakistan looked entirely distracted as they struggled past the UAE to set up a rematch against the Indians.
They might as well not have bothered: when it came around, India were just as crushingly dominant as they had been seven days previously.
Not that you would have known it from some of the Pakistan players’ demeanour. Sahibzada Farhan mimicked shooting a rifle when he reached 50, even though that was a minor landmark and his team were a long way from looking like winners at the time.
Shaheen Afridi had cross words with India’s opening batters, Abhishek and Shubman Gill, while his fast-bowling partner Haris Rauf was even more combustible.
When fielding in the deep he was goaded by India supporters, so made mocking, inflammatory gestures that appeared to reference the military conflict between the nations earlier this year.
Rauf was so fired up he had to be separated from India’s batters by the umpires at the end of one over. Abhishek and Gill fired back at him, too, and, of course, whoever laughs last laughs loudest.
“The way they were coming to us without any reason, I didn’t like at all,” said Abhishek, whose 39-ball 74 won him the player of the match award.
“I thought this was the only [answer] I could give with my bat and obviously the win towards my team. That is all that was going through my mind.
“I just wanted to deliver for my team.”
Shaheen and Rauf are good mates – their colleagues at Lahore Qalandars reckon they are as good as brothers – but so are Abhishek and Gill. Their united front against the Pakistan fast bowlers spoke of a tight bond.
“I think it’s really important to be very, very good friends off the field,” Suryakumar said of the Abhishek-Gill bromance.
“If you are batting together, opening together, that really helps to get your bond a little stronger.
“Sometimes you don’t have to say anything on the field. You look in the eye and take that cheeky single or compliment each other if someone is going really strong, or if someone is having a hard day.
“I think that friendship comes into picture when they both bat together. And with Shubman, everyone knows what kind of player he is and what he brings to the table, what he brings to the team.
“The only thing I want to say about him is he knows how to score runs and the way he scored it today is a sign of a very good batter.”
What was striking about Gill’s contribution of 47 to the opening stand of 105 for India was its deference to Abhishek.
Gill might be India’s Test captain, and have spent the summer breaking records in the thrilling series in England. But he did not mind giving the limelight to his mate.
Abhishek’s style might be the more spectacular – his strike-rate doesn’t often dip far below 200 – and yet his captain says he is all substance.
“I think he is very, very selfless,” Suryakumar said of Abhishek. “When it comes to his batting style, as he passes the powerplay, he can still bat the same way how he bats in the powerplay.
“But the way he analyses the situation post powerplay, [and assesses] what is required of him, what bowlers are going to bowl, I think that's a plus point for him.
“He’s learning every game and it’s very important for someone like him to understand what his role is, how he can bat a little deeper.
“Most important, what I’ve seen from him is never misses any practice session. He’s always there to do something at least.
“Even if he doesn’t want to bat, he’s there on the ground. He always wants to be active. And if you keep working hard, God always has plans for you.”
