PAKISTAN missed a golden opportunity to beat India with a timid batting display, which makes it almost impossible to qualify for the next round of this T20 World Cup. Pakistan fans will be dumbfounded at the inability of the country’s first-choice batsmen to chase 120 in New York. How? Just how?

The match came down to 21 runs needed off 2 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah running in to bowl. Why that happened was hard to understand, except that India fought like tigers and Pakistan lacked conviction and class in their batting.

Somehow, Pakistan hadn’t allowed for the Bumrah factor. Iftikhar Ahmed exemplified how the batsmen’s confidence was so shot when he couldn’t even punish Bumrah’s full tosses.

Babar Azam had done his country the greatest service by winning the toss and deciding to bowl. From that point onwards, it was advantage Pakistan — and to the delight of their fans in the Nassau County Stadium, the bowlers delivered.

The pitch was untrustworthy. It offered some variable bounce off length, and just enough lateral movement. But the key to many of India’s dismissals was the way the ball held up, deceiving the batsmen in defensive and attacking strokes. Big shots, which would’ve been sixes in the IPL, ended up being caught.

With the early dismissals of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant carried India’s hopes. India’s incredibly unorthodox batsman rode his luck, particularly in one over against Mohammad Amir, but just as Pant looked to be taking the game away from Pakistan, he lofted Amir into Babar’s grateful hands at mid-off.

Pakistan’s pace bowlers generally held to the short of a good length that the conditions demanded. They were rewarded with an old school clatter of wickets. From 89 for 3 in the 12th over, India ended up 119 all out.

Amir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, were most incisive, with Imad Wasim providing helpful spin support and proving difficult to play on a pitch that gripped. Interestingly, Shadab Khan didn’t bowl.

What should have been a straightforward chase became a nervy one. The pitch and the fierce rivalry made sure of that. Pakistan’s middle order again showed its lack of quality, a chronic problem that the selectors and players have been unable to resolve. Imad Wasim, promoted up the order, clogged up the innings. His 15 off 23 balls destroyed Pakistan’s momentum.

Mohammad Rizwan was the calming spirit, negotiating the loss of Babar and Usman Khan’s nerves, to guide Pakistan into a commanding position at the halfway stage of the run chase. Each time the run rate crept up, he used his feet to launch an offside boundary.

The turning point was Rizwan also losing his nerve when Bumrah returned in the 15th over, swiping wildly across a straight ball. It was a hard shot to understand given the anchor role that Rizwan was playing.

It was a sad, sobering day for Pakistan cricket, who have had a disastrous time in the USA. To see how far the standards of the country’s batsmen, in particular, have fallen must lead to some deep reflection for the cricket board. The neglect of batsmanship must end.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2024

Header image: Fakhar Zaman of Pakistan leaves the field after being dismissed during the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024 match between India and Pakistan at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on June 09, 2024 in New York. — AFP