Mike Hesson press conference: ‘Ishan took the game away from us’ after India beat Pakistan
Kishan’s breathtaking 77 off 40 balls powered India to 175 for seven, but more importantly broke the backbone of Pakistan’s full-spin strategy on the slow Premadasa Stadium pitch. He attacked the slower bowlers with authority, scoring 66 run offs, 37 deliveries against spin and forcing the Pakistani bowlers out of their comfort zone.Hesson admitted that the pressure created by Kishan forced his bowlers away from their strengths and ultimately changed the course of the match. He noted that apart from Kishan and a brief contribution from Shivam Dube, scoring was difficult, which only underlined how special the knock was. “That was definitely the standout of the whole game, really. The way Kishan played, he took the game away from us,” Hesson said.
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Pakistan’s problems deepened during the chase as they collapsed to just 114 and never recovered from the early wickets. The heavy defeat dropped them to third place in Group A, with their qualification hopes dependent on beating Namibia in their final league match.Hesson admitted the loss hit the team hard emotionally, given the magnitude of the game. He said the dressing room was deeply disappointed as the players understood how much the match meant. “We know it’s a huge event — Pakistan against India. We’ve won five games on the bounce, we’re confident, but we got outplayed today,” he said.Despite the setback, Hesson urged his players to remain composed and respond positively. He stressed that big tournaments often test teams under pressure and that Pakistan’s job now is to trust their decision-making and come back stronger. He said the key question was how players responded when under pressure, whether they stuck to their fundamentals or strayed from them. Improving that response, he said, would be key in future matches.