Let’s face it: 120 was a target that could be easily pursued. At the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, no team has ever conceded fewer runs. Shahid Afridi said in his essay for the ICC that Pakistan’s bowling was disciplined and they restricted the world’s greatest batting lineup to just 119 runs.
After dominating the game for the majority of Sunday, June 9, in New York, the former Pakistani legend and one of the brand ambassadors for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 feels that the Green Shirts have lost a great chance to end their losing run against Team India. Especially in the aftermath of pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s outstanding bowling, Arshdeep Singh made sure that Pakistan almost missed ending the match in a thrilling last over.
Virat Kohli’s early wickets gave the game a boost, and Rohit Sharma, the captain, acknowledged after the game that India didn’t bat well enough. Since they formed the team’s foundation, their cheap removal offered Pakistan a significant advantage. The drop-in pitch in New York, to which a lot of attention has been given, was a tad slow in comparison to the batting-friendly surfaces we are used to in Twenty20 cricket.
Yet neither captain cited the pitch as an excuse; they are aware that elite athletes should be able to adapt to any situation. India’s hitters, in my opinion, were 35 to 40 runs short of their potential at the midway point. Pakistan’s bowlers performed incredibly well.
From my perspective, managing pressure is crucial in international cricket, particularly in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. You need to have steely nerves to persevere through tough times. The former world champion went on, “India remained optimistic and composed until the very last ball, and Babar Azam’s team did a poor job of managing the pressure of the run chase.”
Also read: T20 World Cup 2024: IND vs PAK, Match 19 Highlights
India’s consistency, self-belief, discipline, and on-field approach were the main distinctions between the two squads. What we witnessed was a feeble demonstration of power hitting, and the Pakistani batting lineup is just not connecting. This was not an aggressive game for a number of reasons. But Pakistan lacked the strategy and clever cricket that were needed to get the run chase across the finish line.
It’s time for Gary Kirsten and Babar Azam to adjust as follows: Shahid Afridi
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has seen India win seven of the eight matches against Pakistan, much to the dismay of Pakistani supporters. Pakistan fell to India when they had a low total to chase after they had previously lost to the hosts, the United States, in a close encounter. The next game is, of course, against Canada at Nassau County International Stadium tomorrow, and a victory is assured.
I believe that Gary Kirsten and Babar Azam should change things right now. I would want to see Abrar Ahmed replace Shadab Khan and Salman Ali Agha in place of Usman Khan. More than anything, I think Babar should move down to number three and Fakhar Zaman should be elevated to open the innings with Mohammad Rizwan. Pakistan is still in the tournament, so there is still optimism, even though there will be some difficult decisions and talks to come.
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