Another ICC match-off against the great rivals of cricket, another victory for team India, and a defeat for Pakistan. This is becoming a familiar sight in international cricket. In what is arguably the game of the Group stages and one of the most awaited match-offs in the sport, the outcome turned out to be a predictable one.
Predictable, but not in the sense that the outcome was a foregone conclusion. For it was anything but a very close game that pundits and analysts have gone over several times. A game in which India was genuinely challenged, and at the halfway mark Pakistan looked like the favorites chasing only 119. But it wasn’t meant to be. Why wasn’t it so?
Pakistan’s India Jinx in ICC Tournaments
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Pakistan has not had a great record in ICC tournaments in recent times. A problem that in some ways mirrors the challenges that India is facing in their long dearth of major trophies in iCC competitions. Interestingly the last time Pakistan did manage a major ICC tournament win was in 2017. In the Champions Trophy where Pakistan overcome their rivals comprehensively.
Since then things have not gone well. Whilst reaching the finals of the World T20 in 2022 was certainly an achievement, the defeat to England in the finals topped off a mixed tournament where Pakistan lost to India and Zimbabwe.
Now, a lot can be said about how the team performed on the day against England, but taking a step back, throughout the tournament the South Asian cricketing giant didn’t look like the world beaters that would lift the trophy. This again takes us back to the defeats to India and Zimbabwe. The loss to arch-rivals, no doubt had a draining effect on the team.
Does Pakistan Believe They Can Beat India?
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Going into the second half of the game, Pakistan would have been in high spirits having restricted the powerful Indian batting lineup to a subpart score. The pacers came good when most needed and chasing a score of 119 was certainly doable. But Pakistan, as they often do, found a way to lose it.
There was something about how the players went about the chase. After a decent start, losing only 2 wickets for 57 by over 10, the chase seemed to be headed in the right direction. However, things started to turn against Pakistan when they lost Fakhar Zaman 13 in the 13th over. And from this point on the team in green simply couldn’t make it.
The fact that the team failed to get 119 in the allotted 20 overs, with 3 wickets remaining tells you something about the psychology of this team. Despite great bowling from Jasprit Bumrah the South Asian team had it in them to bat diligently and get past the total. But they could not.
A Time for Deep Rethink for Pakistan when it Comes to India
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Whilst India is having woes finishing major ICC competitions on the winning side, Pakistan has a similar but different problem. The lack of self-belief to go that extra yard and achieve that result. Beating India is a sacred goal of Pakistan cricket but on the field, the players are simply unable to make it happen.
This means the problems that plague Pakistani cricket run deeper. What the team needs is psychological strengthening. To mentally toughen up the side so that it believes it can and will overcome any opposition on a given day, notably India.
Also Read: Pakistan Falls Short Despite Naseem Shah’s Astonishing Performance
About the Author
Damian Thar writes on a range of topics. In addition to his professional work, he writes essays on subjects like philosophy, history, and culture. He also writes and edits books and in his free time, he makes YouTube videos on topics like religion, theology, and current events. You can find his work here.
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