From an Indian point of view, it’s a dead rubber. They have already reached the semifinals of the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates. In many ways, it’s a dead rubber for Pakistan too, as they have India and Hong Kong to play in their remaining group matches, and all they need is just one win to qualify for the last four. But it’s easier said than done. When India and Pakistan take the field, it’s never a dead rubber. On Saturday, both teams finally line up against each other at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
It’s a high-pressure game, but of late, it’s been noticed that on the eve of the match, whenever players are asked how they are feeling about the contest, more often than not, they try to play it down. Even though they look jittery when they take the field. Pakistan batting allrounder Ayesha Zafar has adopted the same approach ahead of the game. “Yes, it is India vs Pakistan, but this is just another match. We taking one match at a time,” she said.
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“It is our second match [having beaten Thailand in their first], so we are hoping to put up a good show and eventually win it,” she added.
However, Ayesha admitted that they need to focus on all three aspects of the game to beat a strong team like India on Saturday. “We cannot specifically focus on one thing; overall, we have focused on all three [batting, bowling and fielding],” she said.
“We have been putting in a lot of work into fielding. Our mentor also said we cannot compromise on fielding because it is something that can win you matches.”
The pitch in Dubai has been partial to spinners so far. Ayesha thinks Pakistan have world-class spinners to rein in India, who hammered Hong Kong by 137 runs on Thursday to storm into the semis, having previously beaten Thailand in their first game. “We are fully prepared and will try our best to win,” she said.
Ayesha also revealed what transpired when Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi met the team. “He encouraged us and told us to put up a good show regardless of winning or losing,” she said. Finally, the 31-year-old, who has played 85 internationals for Pakistan, remarked that the team has strategised for India besides analysing the strengths and weaknesses of every player in the opposition team.