'Special' Gold: India Head Coach VVS Laxman Hails India's Title Defence After Pakistan Win

India head coach VVS Laxman described the team's successful Asian Games title defence as a “special” achievement after the men's cricket team beat Pakistan by 19 runs to win the gold medal in Nisshin, Japan on Saturday. “It's definitely special, you know, to defend the gold medal. Two years back, we won in China, and again now. I feel really happy for the players, because it's definitely an honour, something different for our players. A lot of them have won the World Cup, but for many of them, this is the first time they're winning the gold medal. I'm sure it's a matter of great pride for all of them,” Laxman told reporters. Abhishek Sharma's breathtaking 61 off 28, Tilak Varma's unbeaten 51 off 22 and an all-round effort from Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Shivam Dube helped India clinch back-to-back Asian Games gold medals in men's cricket as they beat Pakistan by 19 runs in a thrilling final.

India produced a brilliant, breathless and golden finish after posting 211/6 in 20 overs, with Abhishek setting the tone with the fastest fifty by an Indian against Pakistan in T20Is before Tilak and Dube provided a late flourish.

“So, I feel really happy. I thought we really stuck together and played well. It was quite challenging since we came to Japan. You know, the rain followed us in Tokyo and then to the venue here. But overall, I think the team really played well, and I'm very happy with the result,” he said.

But Pakistan were not going down without a fight and were powered by a magnificent 96 off 51 from Hasan Nawaz. But India's spinners and all-rounders held their nerve in a frenzied finish, with Dube taking the wicket of Nawaz on the final ball to end Pakistan's innings at 192 for 6 and sending the Indian players into wild celebrations.

The Indian women's team had also won a gold after beating Sri Lanka in the final.

The victory gave India their second successive Asian Games gold medal in men's cricket, after they also finished on top in Hangzhou in 2023.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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