Ouch it hurts! At the break, it was Pakistan’s game and they blew it. Even with all the drama of first session that included a bizarre sequence of missed chances and timid tactics, Pakistan had recovered gallantly to silence the Indian guns. Wahab Riaz had raised his game to give his team an incredible chance to floor India at home. The unassuming shy back-bencher, whose post was under threat from Shoaib Akhtar, rose to the occasion to put the game on an even keel. He had his nerves and game in control to boss the batting gods and that too on a batting strip.
Unlike him, his mates fell apart on account of pressure and expectations. Poor Umar Gul imploded, after Sehwag had roughed him up with a cyclone of shots. It was smart thinking from him to target Pakistan’s best bowler as it not only forced Afridi to pull back and defend but the burst dented Pakistan’s mind so badly that it put them in a reactionary mode.
As the captain started to follow the ball, the fielders started to drop the ball, both parties providing tickets to India and Tendulkar in particular, to get out of jail.
The chase by Pakistan was disjointed and as discordant as the sound of a junior high school orchestra tuning up! Nothing made sense. Hafeez’s reverse scoop of a wide off side delivery, Akmal’s hara-kiri, Younis’s block and Misbah’s plod were suicidal moments of the game.
Younis and Misbah have glued together performances to rescue the batting but they amazingly that night were dormant and drab when innings needed an injection of aggression and expression.
Misbah bats with a one dimensional mind and strategy to soak up balls and hit at the end. It’s a plan which is filled with danger and risk. It not only puts him under unbearable pressure but the entire team goes down with him in case he fails as he leaves them with no leg room. It cannot be clever from Misbah to super impose this strategy on all situations. With him shutting up shop, the pressure mounted on Pakistan and it became easy for India to master the innings and prepare plans to avoid the anticipated Misbah climax!
Younis does not play big shots at all and so once his engine that jump starts him with singles got jammed by Indian spinners it was all over for him.
Infact his soporific batting gave the initiative back to India. Misbah and Younis both got it wrong when Pakistan needed them the most.
The delay in taking the batting power play was indefensible. It turned out to be the turning point of the game. Teams fear it with out any concrete reason. There should be no confusion in making use of this facility because it is simple to execute.
If you keep the basic principal in mind that a normal healthy innings needn’t be burdened with it till late in the piece and adopt it in desperate situations you will end up as a happier team.
Pakistan was in a tight corner losing the game with twenty overs to go yet the team think tank avoided it like a plague. The difference between two teams was reading of situations and getting hold on the nerves. India performed better with a less skilled bowling and did not panic. Pakistan did. I am sure they will learn a great deal from this sorrow.
My advice to them is to don’t let go of this miserable feeling, think about the pains and pangs of disappointment so that when you play them next time let it all translate into performance. Well tried Pakistan. Better luck next time.
— The writer is a former Pakistan captain.
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.