“Babar and Rizwan were timid”: Hardik Pandya

In the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 fixture at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, India defeated Pakistan by 7 wickets with 19 overs to spare. The match saw a significant collapse in Pakistan’s batting performance, and India’s all-rounder Hardik Pandya shared his views on the matter.

Pakistan seemed to be on track to score a total of around 300 or more when they were at 155-2 in 30 overs. However, the game took a turn when Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, was dismissed for 50 runs by India’s pacer, Mohammed Siraj. This wicket triggered a collapse, and Pakistan’s team was eventually dismissed for just 191 runs.

India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, played a crucial role in the chase by scoring a blistering 86 runs, and India managed to win the game with seven wickets in hand in 30.3 overs. This victory allowed India to maintain its unbeaten record against Pakistan in the history of the tournament.

Hardik Pandya said

Hardik Pandya explained that he and the Indian team believed they were still in the game because Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper, had adopted a timid batting approach. According to Pandya, they didn’t take many chances, didn’t attempt aggressive shots, and didn’t attack the Indian bowlers, which allowed India to bowl dot balls. He also noted that if two players bat in a similar conservative manner, it can open up opportunities for the opposition when one of them gets out.

“Babar [Azam] and [Mohammad] Rizwan were timid,” Hardik Pandya said. “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 attacked 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.”

This match marked another significant encounter between the cricketing rivals, India and Pakistan, in the ICC Cricket World Cup, and India emerged victorious in this edition of the tournament.

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