Suryakumar Yadav says India’s batters will not surrender to Usman Tariq when they are confronted with the Pakistan spin-bowler for the first time on Sunday.
The India captain cut a relaxed figure on the eve of the tense T20 World Cup group match on neutral territory in Colombo.
Earlier in the day, his opposite number, Salman Agha, had termed Tariq Pakistan’s “trump card” ahead of the latest meeting of the two rivals.
The spin-bowler has attracted much attention ahead of the game. Twice in recent months opposition players have intimated Tariq throws the ball, rather than bowls it, including at the ILT20 in the UAE.
Tariq has become central to the narrative in the lead up to the high-stakes group match, not least because India have yet to face him.
Even though the sides only met in the Asia Cup as recently as five months ago, he has risen to a position of significant standing in the Pakistan side in the time since.
His method – including the distinctive pause before he releases the ball – has been pored over by pundits and ex-players in India.
“He is a different character when he comes to bowl, but at the same time we cannot just surrender to him,” Yadav said. “We practice with similar type of bowlers and similar actions and we will try to execute what we are practicing in net sessions.”
Agha, the Pakistan captain, pointed out that although his side play as a team, Tariq could prove vital in helping them overturn the form book against India.
“For us, all the players are equal,” said Agha, whose side have a poor record in global tournaments against India.
“You guys [the media] made Usman Tariq so big. For us, there are 15 players, and Usman is also there. Obviously, he has been bowling very well for the past few months.
“And he has also bowled very well in the league cricket he was playing before playing for Pakistan. And, yes, you can say that he is a trump card for us.”
Agha said Tariq, the former Dubai resident, remains unaffected by all the focus on him.
“He doesn't care about these things,” Agha said about the throwing controversies which Tariq has faced. “Since the time he started cricket, these talks are going on about him. He doesn't care about these things.
“The guy has been cleared twice and he has done whatever ICC said and whatever it requires to bowl in international cricket.
“I don't know why people are saying so many things about him, but the one thing I can assure you, he doesn't care about that because he's very used to this stuff.”
The fact the fixture is going ahead at all is a relief, after Pakistan were talked out of boycotting the fixture.
A heavy air of tension still remains given the strained relations, both between the nations and the sides themselves.
The angst was magnified at the Asia Cup in Dubai after India opted out of the customary handshakes when they faced Pakistan.
The ensuing fallout went far beyond the boundaries of the sport, and Agha is hopefully the fixture can return to a more traditional sense of sportsmanship.
“What I expect, obviously, does not matter, but I feel that the game should be played the same way as it has been since the beginning of cricket,” Agha said. “The rest is up to them [India], and whatever they want to do.”
Yadav did not confirm whether handshakes would go ahead. “I will break the suspense tomorrow,” Yadav said.
“Wait for 24 hours. We will play a good game and then after that. What is important right now is the game. Let's play first. About the toss: we will see when it happens.”
