Just told players to rise to the occasion: Iyer

Captaincy India for the very first time against arch-foe Pakistan, Shreyas Iyer simply told his teammates to shut out the noise surrounding the marquee fixture and “rise to the occasion” of a high-pressure final.          

The players did lift their performance on the big stage as India completed a 19-run win over Pakistan in the Asian Games final here on Saturday.

“We were just playing an opponent in our minds, not Pakistan or Sri Lanka. That doesn’t matter. If we play to the best of our abilities, everything else follows. Today was the right example of that and we lived up to it,” Iyer said after the victory.

“It is definitely a huge occasion when you play against Pakistan in the final. The whole country is watching, and you have that kind of pressure. But I just said to my teammates, let’s not get overwhelmed by the occasion. We need to stick to what we’ve been doing,” he said. India did just that, producing a composed performance despite limited preparation and challenging conditions. Persistent rain had disrupted their practice sessions in Japan, leaving the team with little opportunity to acclimatise.

“We are a professional bunch of players and all we want to do is come and play as long as possible. It doesn’t matter what the conditions are or what facilities we get because the eventual goal is to win. Today we won that game and I am elated by each and every individual performance,” he said.

India’s batting effort laid the foundation for the victory, with the team posting a formidable 211 on a turning surface that offered little certainty to the batters. “The way we played and set the total of 211 was a phenomenal effort by each and every one. This wicket, especially where it was turning, you basically don’t have an idea how the wicket is going to play. So considering that, I feel 211 was an exceptional score,” said Iyer.

Pakistan, however, threatened to wrest control of the chase after finding momentum and striking a few sixes. Iyer admitted that the contest was competitive but praised his bowlers for holding their nerve and sticking to their lines and lengths when it mattered.