New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) Shivam Dube’s childhood coach Satish Sawant praised his ward’s performance against Pakistan in the final of the Asia Cup, saying that the allrounder brought a positive change to his game style, while also lauded Tilak Varma for his match-winning innings.

India appeared to be in trouble when opener Shubman Gill fell for just 12 in the fourth over to make it 20/3 in pursuit of Pakistan’s total of 146, but Varma, Sanju Samson (24) and Shivam Dube (33) kept their cool to guide the side home.

Sawant opined that the match was very intense and evenly poised, with both teams putting in solid efforts to claim the trophy. Noting the same, Sawant said that Pakistan looked like they’d post a big target, but Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling turned the game.

“First of all, congratulations to everyone on the win. It was a great win. Yes, the match was such that one couldn’t guess who’d win, but the team that’s putting in so much hard work and playing as a proper team, their experiences helped them overcome the challenges.

“Chasing the target on that surface wasn’t that easy. Seeing the way Pakistan batted initially, I thought a 190-run total was within reach. But Kuldeep’s over, where he took three wickets, was the turning point. It got us back into the match, and we were back in the game,” Sawant told IANS.

He praised Varma’s mindset and knock while also stating that his partnerships with Sanju Samson and Dube were commendable. Sawant also mentioned that he noticed a positive change in Dube’s batting, adding that he liked how he responded to the deliveries.

“Tilak’s performance and his partnership with Samson were brilliant. They kept the run rate in check and made the chase look possible. And when Tilak partnered with Shivam, runs started flowing because the batters were hitting from both ends. Both were capable of hitting sixes, and they did.

“Shivam also brought a positive change to his game style, focusing on singles and twos, and responded well to the deliveries, rather than making haste as he had earlier. Tilak is the future Virat Kohli. Our middle order is in safe hands for at least the next 10 years,” he noted.

Sawant also believes that the Indian team was destined to win the Asia Cup title, given the hard work they put in, saying, “The team’s self-belief is high, and management supports them. Everyone is playing their game freely, and there’s depth in the batting order. This was destined to happen.”

— IANS

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