However, India’s captain’s withdrawal of appeal did not change anything in the UAE’s innings. The hosts were bundled out for 57 inside 14 overs, and Kuldeep Yadav (4/7) and Shivam Dube (3/4) took seven wickets between them.

Speaking of the incident of the appeal being taken back, it happened in the 13th over. Shivam Dube bowled a bouncer as the UAE batter Siddique backed away. The batter immediately pointed to the towel that came off the bowler as he was running into bowl. However, the on-field umpire asked for a third umpire referral after wicketkeeper Sanju Samson’s throw took the stumps down.

The replays showed Siddique out of the crease. The batter was busy pointing towards the towel, but he forgot to get back inside the crease. The OUT decision flashed on the big screen as Siddique was found short, but India captain Suryakumar Yadav withdrew the appeal as the batter was put off by the towel.

Earlier, it seemed that India withdrew the appeal, looking at the game situation; however, the replays later made it clear that it was a case of the towel coming off and the batter being distracted.

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar was not pleased with the decision, which had nothing to do with the towel coming off. “The towel coming off is not relevant. It is just a case of India trying to be nice to the UAE team,” he stated on commentary.

India brush aside UAE

Suryakumar won the toss and opted to bowl. His bowlers proved his call right, as they wasted no time brushing aside the challenge of the UAE. Opening batters Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu put on 26 runs for the first wicket. Jasprit Bumrah provided the opening breakthrough.

After the first wicket fell, the rest of the lineup could only add 31 more runs to the total as the UAE registered the lowest-ever T20I score against India. India wasted no time in chasing the total down as the side got home with nine wickets in hand and 93 balls to spare. Abhishek Sharma scored 30 while Shubman Gill and Suryakumar remained unbeaten on 20 and 7, respectively.

India named Samson the wicketkeeper in the playing XI. The right-handed batter received the nod ahead of Jitesh Sharma. Dube played ahead of Rinku Singh, and India went in with only one frontline pacer in the form of Bumrah.