The big question before the start of the Asia Cup was: which opposition can challenge this Indian team, defending T20 World Cup winners and who have not lost a bilateral series under Suryakumar Yadav?

One match, albeit against lower-ranked UAE, underlined why it will be difficult to defeat India in conditions where the pitches tend to be slow, given the presence of Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy.

India had few troubles putting one past hosts UAE in Dubai on Tuesday night, thus marking their first T20I since February with a nine-wicket win to go top of Group A of the Asia Cup. A controlled performance in sapping humid conditions limited UAE to a paltry total of 57 in 13.1 overs, and India chased their target for the loss of one wicket in 4.3 overs.

Taking a cue from their earlier stint in Dubai during this year’s Champions Trophy, India went pace off by picking three spinners and it was the slow stuff that proved the undoing of UAE, who nosedived from 47/2 to 57 all out. Kuldeep marked his return to India’s T20I side since the 2024 T20 World Cup final with three wickets in his second over, en route to a haul of 4/7 from 13 deliveries, and the gentle medium pace of Shivam Dube proved an instant hit to hand the part-timer figures of 3/4 in two overs.

Playing his first T20I since in 438 days, Bumrah delivered India their first wicket with a pin-point yorker to bowl Alishan Sharafu for 22 in the fourth over. Chakravarthy struck in his opening over when an ambitious swipe from Muhammad Zohaib ended up in the point fielder’s hands. The catcher, Kuldeep, was soon in on the act himself when he drew a false slog from Rahul Chopra who was held in the deep by Shubman Gill.

The UAE captain Muhammad Waseem led a charmed life, slashing over the slips and wide of third man repeatedly. Three fours off Bumrah’s third over took the score to 41/2 after the Powerplay, but the ambitious tone to Waseem’s innings did not last much longer. Trying to sweep a straight delivery from Kuldeep, Waseem was lbw for 19 off 21 deliveries. The over ended with a teasing googly that curved past a forward prod from Harshit Kaushik and hit middle stump.

The rot had set in. Dube’s unassuming medium pace drew the edge of Asif Khan’s bat to make it 51/6 in the 11th over. All Axar Patel had to do was land the ball in line with the stumps and Simranjeet Singh was a sitting duck. Dube grabbed two more in his second over, during which Suryakumar graciously withdrew a run out appeal only for the reprieved batsman, Junaid Siddique, to slog the next delivery up in the air. Kuldeep’s fourth ended the innings in the 14th over, arguably the easiest such haul he’s bagged in T20Is.

India’s latest opening pair of Gill and Abhishek Sharma completed the demolition job. Abhishek drove the first ball of the chase over extra cover for six, and though four dots followed in the over, the signal was clear. Another six and four from Abhishek rounded off India’s score after three overs to 38 for no loss, and trying to hit his fourth six the left-hander played across the line and got a top edge to midwicket.

Suryakumar whipped his first ball over fine leg for six, Gill faced nine deliveries for 20 runs and India wrapped up the win inside the Powerplay.