Perfect Start For Men In Blue

Kuldeep, Dube shine with the ball as India dominate against UAE with a 9-wicket win

- GOMESH S @Chennai

IT might not have been much of a contest, but as soon as India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bowl against United Arab Emirates in their first match of the Asia Cup, the team sheet gave a glimpse of how this management wants to operate.

What followed in the next couple of hours or so only added more to it as India dismissed UAE for 57 before chasing down the target with nine wickets in hand.

Contrary to what was expected and understood in the lead up to the game, Sanju Samson started in the playing XI ahead of Jitesh Sharma but was slotted to bat at No. 5. If that was a googly no one anticipated, India went on to play only two seamers in Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya with Shivam Dube as an additional option. It meant Rinku Singh and Arshdeep Singh sat out with Kuldeep Yadav playing for India for the first time since the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in February.