Gavaskar was impressed by how the team dealt with pressure during Nissanka's assault. India’s final Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours match against Sri Lanka may have been a dead rubber but it ended up being contested like it was anything but that. The game ended up being closest of the tournament thus far, with a masterful century Pathum Nissanka’s masterful 107 off 58 balls helping Sri Lanka tie India’s steep score of 202. India then won the Super Over and former captain and batting great Sunil Gavaskar says that it was good they had a match like this before the final against Pakistan.
“It was a good wake-up call, that the team was stretched right down to the wire exactly what you need on the eve of a big final,” said Gavaskar on India Today. “Emerging victorious from such a challenge highlights the strength of this Indian team and the excellent temperament they possess. Facing a tough day before the final can actually be beneficial.”
India had hardly been challenged for much of the tournament, with their players rarely ever making mistakes. Gavaskar, however, feels that it wasn’t really a bad day in the office for India against Sri Lanka but rather a tough day for them. He was impressed by how the team dealt with pressure during Nissanka’s assault.
“It wasn’t a bad day, rather it was a hard day at the office. The team navigated the pressure well, maintaining composure in the final overs while defending their total. The final over might have been slightly better if Harshit had bowled slower deliveries instead of relying on pace, but overall, the team’s ability to bounce back despite strong performances from Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka speaks volumes about their resilience and character,” Gavaskar said.
Abhishek Sharma’s 31-ball 61, coupled with an unbeaten 49 off 34 balls by Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson’s 39 off 23 helped India pose a total of 202/5 batting first. India were then off to a good start with Hardik Pandya dismissing Kusal Mendis first over. However, then came a 127-run partnership between Nissanka and Kusal Perera which set Sri Lanka on their way. While Perera fell, Nissanka stayed right till the final over in which he fell to Harshit Rana. Remarkably, Sri Lanka finished on 202/5 as well, exactly the same score as India’s with the same number of wickets lost.
The ensuing Super Over turned out to be a bit of an anticlimax, although there was some drama with regards to Dasun Shanaka’s non-run-out, With Sri Lanka folding for just two runs. India knocked it off first ball of their Super Over.
Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.
3 min read
