Our Bureau
Dubai
For the first time in the history of the Asia Cup, Pakistan and India are going to face each other in the finals of the tournament on this Sunday, September 28th. Before the match, the coach of Pakistan’s national side, Mike Hesson addressed the press conference a day before the epic final clash and stated that they will have to put the Indian team under pressure to win the tournament.
Hesson talked about the last two fixtures that both the nations have had and stated that his team has shown massive improvement in the last game against India. He even highlighted that the game was well within their grasp until Indian opener Abhishek Sharma played that brilliant innings.
“I think the way we played against India in the last match was a huge step up from the first game. The first game was a bit passive, we allowed India to control the game,” Hesson said.
He added, “The last match we had that game by the scruff of the neck for long periods and it took an exceptional innings from Abhishek Sharma that took the game away from us. We have deserved this opportunity so it’s now up to us to make the most of it. We have been trying to be in a position to win the trophy.”
Pakistan’s Head Coach even talked about the message he gave to his team and the controversies in the last two games stating that they should focus on cricket and have their mind set on keeping India under pressure.
“Look, my message to the players is just focus on cricket and that certainly we will be doing. In terms of gestures there has always been passion in terms of high-pressure games. We have to be good enough to put India under pressure for longer because there is a reason why they are ranked the top side in the world. We have to put them under pressure and that will be our challenge,” Hesson said.
