On 15th of February, the world with its’ bated breath was waiting for a spectacle; what it turned out to be, left a sour taste in the fans’ mouth. The southeastern rivals who cherish their curries, weren’t able to cook one together, as India showed their prowess against their traditional adversaries.
Salman Agha won the toss and decided to bowl first. At first the decision might not have raised any eyebrows but having a look at the last few matches on Premadasa, it was clear that this decision might come back to haunt them. However, after watching the complete game, I felt that the wicket in the first innings was a bit tacky and demanded some respect from the batters(got none); it(the pitch) got better when the Pakistanis came out to bat. So I think even if Agha had chosen to bat first, they could have easily been bundled out for a paltry total by the phenomenal Indian bowlers.
The way Ishan Kishan batted was absolutely sensational, he just toyed with the Pakistani bowlers. Initially, he also felt that the wicket was a bit sluggish and that the ball was gripping & stopping but he started waiting on the back-foot to play those big shots. Taking no credit away from Ishan, clueless captaincy by Salman and absolutely pedestrian bowling by Abrar & Shadab didn’t help. Even after picking up the key wicket of Abishek, that too for a duck, Salman didn’t bowl more than two overs and got Shadab(a leg spinner) in the attack against two left handers. It was absolutely bizarre!
Usman Tariq who was the so much in the spotlight for his action, was brought in after the first half of the Indian innings. I, for the life of mine, wasn’t able to comprehend the reason. You have an attacking bowler, who picks wickets and there is a marauding left hander who is blowing away your attack and you don’t bring in your best bowler until 10 overs have been bowled.
I am just guessing but I don’t think that Salman Agha had anything to do with the aforementioned, I think the strategy was decided in the dugout by Mike Hesson(coach). He made sure that the team had a plan and no matter what, they follow the plan to the T; and so they did! But this could be the reason for the demolition of the Pakistani team.
But what could not be attributed to Mike Hesson(not explicitly), was the absolutely reckless batting by his team. The coach can’t wield the bat himself! However, credit must be given to the Indian new ball bowlers, Hardik & Bumrah. They were spot on to begin with and didn’t give any breathing space to the opposition batsmen. The shot, rather the slog the Pakistani skipper attempted, in a nutshell, painted the entire picture of the match. He tried to slog an outswinger over midwicket, & ended lobbying it up towards Hardik on mid on, who didn’t make any mistake.
Babar Azam, Pakistan’s favourite son, never looked settled and was bowled by Axar Patel; after that, it was just a procession and India won the game comfortably. I think, Pakistan not only lacks on the skillset pyramid against India, they also lack the mindset to beat India. Pakistan looked under huge pressure throughout the match and it looked like they weren’t up for a fight, as if the result was a foregone conclusion.
It would be very difficult for Pakistan to pick themselves up after this match but they must as they have a leg inside the Super-8. India on the other hand, should just carry on their merry making ways and just be a wee bit cautious about the ultra aggressive approach their batsmen undertake.
