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TimesofIndia.com in Dubai: Pakistan captain Salman Agha struck a reflective note in the post-match press conference after his side’s six-wicket defeat to India in the Asia Cup Super Four clash on Sunday.Much of the questioning revolved around the controversial dismissal of Fakhar Zaman. The opener had looked threatening with 15 off eight balls before edging a Hardik Pandya off-cutter to wicketkeeper Sanju Samson in the third over. Samson claimed a low catch that was sent upstairs for review, with replays suggesting the ball was perilously close to the ground. After several angles, the third umpire ruled Fakhar out, leaving the left-hander visibly unconvinced.Salman admitted the moment was debatable. “Umpires can make mistakes. To me, it looked like it bounced before it carried. Umpires can also make mistakes. I can be wrong as well,” he told reporters after the match. The skipper, however, stressed that Pakistan’s batting effort, not the decision, cost them the game. Pakistan finished on 171/5 despite a fluent 58 from Sahibzada Farhan and 21 from Saim Ayub in a 72-run stand. The innings lost momentum in the death overs and yielded about 10–15 runs fewer than hoped.“We have bowled well. Batting is a concern but we have done well today, which is a positive we are taking,” Salman noted. “It is not an easy wicket to bat on. We saw Indian batters also struggling. It was not a disappointing total, but we didn’t bowl well in the powerplay.”India’s openers Abhishek Sharma (74 off 39) and Shubman Gill (47 off 28) ensured Pakistan’s bowlers were immediately on the back foot, racing to 105 in under nine overs. Though India stuttered briefly after both openers fell, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya saw the chase through with 7 balls to spare.It was India’s second win over Pakistan in the tournament. Notably, there was no handshake between captains at the toss, continuing the uneasy undertone between the two sides.
