Colombo: Pakistan's crushing defeat to India in the Asia Cup has served as a "timely reminder" for the team to regroup and prepare for the upcoming World Cup, according to head coach Grant Bradburn.

In a rain-affected Super Four clash during the 50-over tournament, Babar Azam's men faced a formidable 228-run loss to India. The match was moved to a reserve day due to rain, with India posting a formidable 356-2. India then bowled out Pakistan for just 128 runs in 32 overs, marking their most significant ODI victory over their arch-rivals.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Bradburn acknowledged the defeat as a valuable lesson. He said, "My gut feeling is that we are grateful for the gift that has been these last two days."

Bradburn emphasized the need for consistent performance, saying, "We don't get to play some of the best players in the world very often. We haven't lost a game of cricket for the last three months, so it's a timely reminder that we need to turn up every day, put in our best on the park, and it's actually a gift in the last two days we haven't done that."

Pakistan had won the toss and elected to bowl. However, they struggled to contain India's batting lineup after a 121-run opening partnership between skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul further extended India's dominance with scores of 122 and 111, respectively, in an unbroken partnership of 233.

Bradburn admitted, "We lost at all facets of the game," and emphasized that there were no excuses. Pakistan's bowling attack had previously rattled India's top order in an Asia Cup group game, dismissing them for 266 before the match was abandoned due to rain.

Regarding India's batting performance, Bradburn said, "Certainly wasn't a surprise. Everyone's seen how lethal our bowling attack is, and good teams will counteract that."

While Pakistan started the tournament with an impressive 151 against Nepal, Bradburn pointed out that their batting had not been consistent. He expressed confidence in the team's batting unit, saying, "Our batting unit hasn't clicked in the past month, and again, that is a positive sign. We have full trust in them. We are very consistent with our selection. We know they will come right."

Pakistan's next match in the Asia Cup is against Sri Lanka, scheduled for Thursday.