Vande Mataram, echoed in the Narendra Modi Stadium as India crushed Pakistan in the ODI World Cup. It was more than a cricket match, it was a clash of history and politics. But India proved their supremacy with an 8-0 record in the mega event. Pakistan were no match for their arch-rivals on the big stage.
What went wrong for Pakistan and what went right for India? Let’s analyze the factors behind this unequal contest. India had a balanced team, a fearless captain, and a passionate crowd. Pakistan had an unreliable batting order, a defensive captain, and an anxious mentality. India played with confidence and aggression, Pakistan played with doubt and fear. India utilized every opportunity, Pakistan didn’t make the most of the chances.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan failed to accelerate the scoring rate in World Cup match
Pakistan aimed for a big total but failed due to their poor batting. They had India under pressure at 155/2 in the 30th over, but they wasted their advantage by scoring slowly. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan added only 82 runs in 103 balls, allowing India’s bowlers to control the game.
Ravindra Jadeja was the key for India, bowling with accuracy and speed. He did not give any easy runs to Babar and Rizwan, who struggled to find the gaps. The wickets column still read two, but the run rate was too low for Pakistan to challenge India.
Babar’s wicket was the turning point of the game. He tried to cut Mohammed Siraj to third man, but lost his off-stump. Siraj was expensive, but he gave India the breakthrough they needed. Pakistan’s innings collapsed after that, and they could not recover. India won the world cup game easily, thanks to Pakistan’s lack of temperament and game awareness.
Indian bowlers were outstanding, but Pakistan made it easy for them with poor batting in World Cup
Pakistan’s batting crumbled after Babar Azam’s wicket. Mohammad Rizwan, who was set on 47, failed to accelerate and lost his partners quickly. Saud Shakeel and Iftikhar Ahmed fell to poor shots, while Rizwan was outsmarted by Jasprit Bumrah’s slower ball. Pakistan lost six wickets for 51 runs in 80 balls.
India’s bowlers and captain Rohit Sharma deserve credit for their tactics and execution. They exploited Pakistan’s weakness of playing square of the wicket and bowled full and straight in World Cup match. They also used their variations and field placements effectively to create pressure and chances.
Pakistan could have learned from Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, who batted superbly against them in Sri Lanka last month. They showed how to build a partnership and rotate the strike without losing momentum. Pakistan’s batting collapse exposed their lack of temperament and game awareness in contrast to India’s.
Pakistan lacked the firepower to compete with India in World Cup
India’s batting crushed Pakistan’s bowling in the Asia Cup 2023 Super Fours game. Pakistan missed Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi was ineffective. Hasan Ali and Haris Rauf were expensive and the spinners could not defend a low total. Rohit Sharma led India’s chase with ease.
Pakistan’s batting collapsed after a record chase against Sri Lanka. They failed to adapt to the conditions and lost wickets to India’s quality bowling. India showed their superiority and temperament in big matches, while Pakistan exposed their weaknesses and inconsistency.
If Pakistan bowls effectively with the new ball, they have a tiny chance of defeating India in the World Cup. However, the ability, depth, and confidence disparity between the two teams is too great. India is the clear favorite, with Pakistan far from being a match for them.