**DUBAI –** Pakistan’s head coach, Mike Hesson, has declared the upcoming Asia Cup final against archrivals India as “the only match that really counts,” emphasizing his side’s determination to clinch the title. The highly anticipated clash, scheduled for Sunday in Dubai, follows a challenging tournament for Pakistan, who faced significant scrutiny after suffering two defeats to India.
Despite previous criticism questioning his credentials after the group-stage and Super Four thrashings by India, Hesson asserted that Pakistan deserved their place in the final. “We’ve deserved this opportunity, and now it’s up to us to make the most of it,” Hesson told reporters on Thursday night after his team secured their spot by edging Bangladesh by 11 runs in their last Super Four outing. “All the games before this were about getting into a position to win the trophy. We know that the only match that really counts is the final, and that’s our focus, to play our best game when it matters.”
Pakistan entered the Asia Cup with confidence, having recently triumphed in a tri-nation series. Their journey through the group stage saw comfortable victories over Oman and hosts United Arab Emirates, interspersed with a seven-wicket loss to India. The Super Four stage commenced with another defeat to India, this time by six wickets, though the batting performance showed improvement. Subsequent victories against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh paved their way to the final.
The two losses against India, according to Hesson, provided crucial insights. “The way we played against India in the last match was a huge step up from the first game,” he noted. “In the first one, we were a bit passive and allowed India to control the game. But in the last match, we had the game by the scruff of the neck for long periods, and it took an exceptional innings from Abhishek Sharma to take it away from us.” Hesson acknowledged areas for improvement, particularly with the ball during the power play, stressing the need to sustain pressure for longer periods against what he rates as the world’s top side.
The final marks a historic moment, as it will be the first time India and Pakistan meet in an Asia Cup final in the tournament’s 41-year history.
Hesson admitted Pakistan is yet to play a “perfect game,” referencing their struggles with the bat against Bangladesh where they were reeling at 46-4 before staging a fightback to reach 135-8. “Look, I think whenever you get to different phases of the tournament, your opposition often doesn’t allow you to play the perfect game, and we were far from perfect,” the coach observed. “But the fact we can win games from that position just shows the character in the group. Today, whenever we tried to play aggressively, we got out before getting used to the pitch. These are lessons, and as pitches tire, discipline becomes even more important.”
Ultimately, Hesson believes the final against India will largely hinge on the players’ mental fortitude. “We’ve been talking about focusing on the present and not getting ahead of ourselves,” he said, highlighting the team’s strong resolve. “The boys always aimed to be in this final, and we had to play good cricket to get here. We’ve beaten teams we hadn’t beaten in a long time, and we won the tri-series before this. There’s confidence in the group, and wins like today – when everyone writes you off 10 overs in – only build that confidence further.”
