Indian vice-captain Hardik Pandya feels that the primary factor in India maintaining their hold in the game was that both Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were cautious in their approach in the middle overs and did not take any chances throughout their innings, which eventually helped the Men in Blue to keep the pressure in the game.
Instead of going after the Indian spinners, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and the in-form Mohammad Rizwan appeared to take a risk-free approach against Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja which resulted in Pakistan’s catastrophic collapse that saw them get bowled out for just 191 runs, losing a significant amount of momentum in the match.
Speaking to the media after the game, Hardik Pandya said that the experienced Pakistan pair’s conservative approach in the game has helped the Indian team to maintain the pressure throughout the game and believes that picking up one wicket has opened the doors for the team in the middle overs.
“Babar and Rizwan were timid. They didn’t take any chances, which is why we thought we were always in the game. There wasn’t much in the pitch for the bowlers. They didn’t try going for shots or attack us, which is why we were able to bowl dot balls. I have seen that if two players bat in the same way if one gets out, then it opens up a lot of doors,” Hardik Pandya said.
India thrashed Pakistan in their group-stage match in the ODI World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium by seven wickets in the game. Pakistan got off to a strong start, but they slowed down dramatically once India brought in their spinners and the Men in Green lost their final eight wickets for just 36 runs in the game.
The Stature Of A Batter Like Babar Azam Must Have Taken The Innings – Mohammad Amir
Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir admitted that Babar Azam was under pressure in the game, as he could not accelerate in the game, and reckons that two experienced Pakistan batters should have taken the game deep for the team in Ahmedabad.
“Babar played all his innings under pressure and when the time came for a charge he couldn’t, The stature of a batter like him must have taken the innings along and we can’t blame the middle-order batters because they (Babar and Rizwan) had set the stage,” Mohammad Amir said.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill started the chase in an aggressive manner towards Pakistan. India persisted with their attacking intent and chased down the 192-run in only 30.3 overs. With three victories out of three, India kept up their unbeaten streak and now holds the top spot in the tournament.