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With the Asia Cup under way, all attention has turned to the continent's best players, but the agenda so far has been dominated by the consistently low scoring in Dubai, as The Cricket News' Arya Shah explains... The Women’s Asia Cup has already given us plenty to talk about, but there seems to be one ongoing trend that’s been hard to miss: the batters’ struggle for runs. An India Pakistan game where the latter was all out for 55, one of their lowest ever totals in a T20I, and matches where a total of 120 seems to be a “high-scoring affair”? It's an unexpected turn of events, and raises a very simple question: Why? What exactly has made scoring runs such a challenge in Dubai? And are these conditions favouring the bowlers more than usual? Normally, there is nothing wrong in offering a pitch that provides the bowlers with an extra edge. Not every field has to be a “batter’s paradise” and this variation is what makes the game of cricket more interesting for the fans, and challenging for the players. However, there is a fine line between a challenging pitch, and one where a single boundary seems impossible to score! MORE: Naruemol Chaiwai and the rise of Thailand Cricket showcased at Asia Cup | Latest Women's Cricket News Even then, there is another discrepancy. We have seen some matches where the conditions did not affect the score. As an example, India were able to put up a 193/5 against Hong Kong, thanks to Smriti Mandhana’s century and her score of 124 off of 64 balls. (Sportzpics) So, that brings us to another hypothesis. Maybe it isn’t that the pitch is hard to bat on - maybe it is the margin for error is too small? Mistimed shots do not travel well on slow surfaces, and so trying to hit boundaries or sixes in such a scenario could bring about a string of quick wickets falling. With spin picking up through the middle overs, batters have found it increasingly tough to keep the scoreboard moving during this tournament so far. And that brings us to another facet of the game - adaptability. That is what Mandhana showed us in the match against Hong Kong. Adaptability to the conditions. Pakistan, on the other hand, struggled to gauge the pitch, unable to respond to India’s bowling attack, and collapsing to a mere 55. MORE: Women's Asia Cup 2026 semi-final schedule, venue and how to watch It's a fascinating mix, and one that makes the game of cricket so intriguing. But, the organisers still have considerations to make, and fundamentally it needs to be asked at what point do challenging pitches become too challenging? If the goal of tournaments like the Asia Cup is to grow and expand women’s cricket even further, attract new viewers and develop T20 Cricket as a fast-paced, entertaining watch, should we really celebrate scores of 120 as competitive? Or is watching batters try to find their footing and figure out how to make it work in these conditions part of the charm? Is the answer to make every pitch a batting paradise? It's a complex conundrum. As the Asia Cup reaches its final weeks, the search for balance may become one of the most important stories of the tournament. For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary, and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages Or you can read more of Arya Shah's thoughts on the latest cricketing topics here.