Dubai, Sept. 13 -- India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate assured that the players are aware of the people's sentiments about their much-debated fixture against arch-rival Pakistan at the Asia Cup on Sunday in Dubai. He spilt the beans about head coach Gautam Gambhir's message to the players, which focuses on keeping their emotions in check.

Public anger over India facing Pakistan in the tournament stems from the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, during which 26 tourists were killed on April 22 by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in the name of religion. The emotions around the contest are mixed, and there have been calls to boycott the fixture against Pakistan.

During the buildup to the clash between the two rivals, fans ha...