At the pre-match press conference ahead of the Bangladesh Super Four clash, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate praised India for staying focused against Pakistan
He highlighted the maturity of Gill, Sharma, and Tilak Varma
Ten Doeschate said India stuck to their game despite Pakistan’s gestures
Ahead of India’s Super Four fixture against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup 2025, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate addressed the pre-match press conference, highlighting the young team’s maturity during last Sunday’s game against Pakistan.
India had beaten Pakistan comfortably by six wickets, riding on Abhishek Sharma's 39-ball 74, though the match was overshadowed by controversial celebrations from opener Sahibzada Farhan and gestures from pacer Haris Rauf.
"It would have been easy to lose our minds at that point given the celebration as well and some of the words during the game from the Pakistan bowling unit. I thought the guys stuck really well to the task of getting the job done and winning the game. Like I said, not at our very best so lots of things to work on but still managing to win rather comfortably is very pleasing for us," Ten Doeschate said.
"Look, they had a very good start. I don't think they got carried away with it," he added about Farhan’s celebrations. "I will say given the situation you can see why guys are behaving and what they're trying to portray but we were very focused on how we wanted to behave. I think we stuck to the cricket really well."
Regarding Rauf’s gestures, he said, "Let me first say, the amount of pressure that's been heaped on the players because of the situation, it's very difficult to control their behaviour. I did see some of the things Haris did and that's not our concern. Like I said earlier, we're really proud of how our guys carried themselves."
He also touched on the broader context, noting, "They fought fire with their bats on the field. I'm sure other teams have issues with some of the things we've done but from our side, we're delighted with how our guys have carried themselves in this tournament."
India’s clash against Bangladesh in the Super Four promises to be another challenging contest. In the IND vs BAN preview, Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill, and Abhishek Sharma will be central to countering Bangladesh’s spin threat.
Their ability to handle spin could well decide the match, while Bangladesh will look to exploit any middle-over vulnerabilities. With form and confidence on their side, India aim to carry forward their strong momentum and secure another convincing win.
With PTI Inputs
