After witnessing a match for the ages in an age-old rivalry, India had the blessings of their neighbors across the border, cheering and hoping that they remove the sting of the Proteas pace battery in order to keep their qualification hopes alive.
After a series win at home against them, India would have certainly walked into the game a confident side but fell prey to dodgy selection calls and data driven tactics, which was visible even in the on-field calls during the Proteas chase that left them a little clueless. The Indian batters were left reeling and had no answers to the relentless and fiery South African attack, that extracted steep bounce and pace from a fiery Perth wicket to break the backbone of India’s batting. If it weren’t for Suryakumar Yadav’s pyrotechnics, India was staring at a defeat that would’ve dented their NRR, instead they have two more games remaining against opponents that would certainly be an easier challenge than the Proteas but Pakistan’s journey in this world cup seems to reaching a disappointing end.
Former Pakistani player and captain, Salim Malik in an interview with 24 News HD said that “India kabhi nahi chahega Pakistan aage jaaye“ (India will never want Pakistan to progress), He further went on to say that the Indian players’ intensity and desire seemed lacking as the game progressed and alleged that there was some part of them that lost the game intentionally. Malik also had a few words for the shoddy fielding display from the team and mentions that the drop in fielding standards is alarming and worrisome.
Pakistanis fast bowling stalwart Shoaib Akhtar also expressed his disappointment in a video on his YouTube channel, where he said that “ India ne marwa diya humein (India has killed us here)”. Pakistan’s chances now are subject to complex mathematical equations of NRR and the performance and wins of other teams.
The two neighbors have been in a similar situation before, during the 2019 World Cup where Pakistan’s hopes of staying alive in the competition depended on an Indian victory against the hosts England, which they eventually lost and that led to stern reactions from former cricketers across the border.
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Pakistan is currently 5th in the table and have two games remaining against the buoyant Bangladesh and T20 World Cup contenders South Africa. They will need to be at their best in order to make a claim for the semis.
The Indian contingent moves to Adelaide for their encounter against the Bangladesh Tigers, where the rain threat looms large and with it India’s headaches for qualifying.