Mike Hesson press conference: ‘Ishan took the game away from us’ after India beat Pakistan
Yet when it came to India’s high-pressure game, it was a meek surrender. The Pakistani team seemed to have learned nothing from their hat-trick of defeats in the Asia Cup and were relegated even before the game could take on the shape of a contest.Before we get into any analysis, let’s accept one thing. India is a better side than Pakistan and it will take an upset for the neighbors to turn the tables. But passionate Pakistani fans are well within their rights to demand such an upset once in a blue moon. Like Indian teams from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s – they won World Cup matches, the Independence Cup in Bangladesh and one Sahara Cup in Toronto despite Pakistan dominating the subcontinental rivalry.
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What was the main reason for Pakistan’s loss against India?
It was a case of timidity from the start for Pakistan on Sunday. The pitch is slowing down and it would be much easier for Pakistan to set a target and pressure India with their spins.But they erred by opting to bat first and put all the pressure on their batting line-up, which is average at best. They should have understood that if it took them a huge fight to chase down 147 against the Netherlands, they are not good enough to cross the chase line against India, a side who wouldn’t give you a target below 160 even on their worst batting day.“I was surprised to see that Pakistan decided to field after winning the toss. That’s where they lost half the match,” spin legend R Ashwin said on his YouTube show. However, Pakistan coach Mike Hesson defended his captain Salman Agh’s decision and felt it was Ishan Kishan’s brilliance that took the game away from them. “The pitch didn’t slow down and there was less spin in the second innings. So you have to look at the facts rather than be emotional. It was the quality of the bowling in the first six overs and the way Ishan bowled that took the game,” Hesson said.Pacer Shaheen Afridi’s poor form is also hurting Pakistan cricket. He has been below par with each passing game, but there is some reason, better known to the team management, that he cannot be relegated. He bowled two crucial overs on Sunday and gave away 31, which was huge in a low-scoring game. For India, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, the two pacers, bowled five overs for 33 and claimed four wickets. “Afridi can’t bowl a hard length consistently on a pitch like this. And if he was playing with Ishan, he should have tried something else,” Ashwin said.The third aspect is of course Pakistan’s batting approach. Admittedly, 175 on a slow pitch was akin to 225 on any Indian track. Still keeping wickets towards the end would give Pakistan a fighting chance at the back.Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja said on his show that he finds it difficult to understand the attitude of the Pakistan team. “They haven’t learned anything from their losses in the Asia Cup. They keep trying the slam bang approach which can’t work for them against an experienced team like this India. But no player is ready to go deep into the game,” Rameez pointed out.But on the negatives, Pakistan can still qualify for the Super-8s if they win against Namibia on Wednesday. If they make it this far, they will continue to play in Colombo and fans will be hoping that the opposition teams are not as lethal as India.