Pakistan coach Saqlain Mushtaq had said before the Asia Cup final that the toss was not important and to win the title a team had to be a winner in both innings. Sri Lanka proved him right. On Friday, when they met Pakistan in a dress rehearsal of the final, they won the toss, batted second and won the game.

On Sunday, in the summit clash, they lost the toss, were asked to bat first, but they still managed to win the match. When Saqlain was asked after the final how Pakistan lost the match despite winning the toss, his reply was a repeat of what he had said a day earlier to a question from The Telegraph — “...to be a champion one needs to be champion in both innings. It does not matter whether you bat or bowl first.”

The scene after Pakistan had won the toss on Sunday was almost like they had won the Asia Cup. And when Sri Lanka lost five wickets by the ninth over, many remarked that the Islanders can never win batting first. But the script turned out differently — it was Pakistan’s hopes that went for a toss.

Who’s the loudest?

The Pakistan fans had arrived shouting “Pakistan Zindabad”, while ‘Sri Lanka Jayawewa’ echoed from the SriLankan side of the crowd. A Sri Lankan journalist revealed that ‘Jayawewa’ was equivalent to ‘Zindabad’ in Sinhalese. In the end, the Lankan fans won. They continued their celebration well past midnight, refusing to leave the Dubai International Stadium. A few Lankan fans had brought drums and musical instruments but kept them in their cars. After the match, they played these instruments near the team bus and began to dance.

Dose of humour

Being amidst the crowd and listening to their remarks is always interesting. The Sri Lankans came up with some hilarious comments. After Naseem Shah bowled Kusal Mendis with a delivery clocking 141kmph and Haris Rauf bowled Danuskha Gunathilaka with a 151kmph delivery, a Lankan fan remarked that it was high time a fine was issued for ‘over-speeding’.