NEW YORK: Pakistani skipper Babar Azam reckoned not utilizing the batting powerplay well enough and then playing too many dot balls in the middle overs were the main reasons behind his side not being able to chase down 120 in their T20 World Cup 2024 clash against India in New York.
Babar said that in their mind, they wanted to play normally, utilize the first six overs in the batting and “If we had done that we win,”. The skipper said, “But one wicket down and we were not up to the mark in the first 6 overs”. He said that they were targeting like 40 to 45 runs in the first six overs, but they did not capitalize properly and yes after the ten overs also they made the same mistake.
Having limited India to 119 runs, Pakistan did not lose too many wickets upfront but also did not make many runs. They managed 35 runs for 1 in the powerplay and then moved 72 for 2 in 12 overs. Hardik got rid of Fakhar with an excellent short of a length ball, before Bumrah breached Rizwan’s stumps with the first ball of his 2nd spell. In the middle overs, Pakistan played 29 dot balls and made 50 runs while losing three wickets.
Babar said that they bowled well following ten overs and they would have taken 120 runs. It is a better total here, he remarked. The skipper said in the batting, they went run-a-ball but unfortunately, they lost back-to-back wickets and then there were too many dot balls,”.
He said, “Tactics were very simple, play normally, just rotate the strike and just attempt and play one boundary and be normal…get five or six an over. But in that period, we had too much dot balls, the pressure was on us. And we lost back-to-back two to three wickets.”
Having suffered back-to-back defeats to start this mega event, Pakistan now find themselves struggling to make it out of the first round of the T20 World Cup. Babar stated that they would just look to win their last two Group A games, and then take it from there.
The skipper said that obviously they have to win the last two games, and “We will sit and discuss our flaws but we are looking forward to the next two important matches.”
Pakistan to play against Canada on June 11 at this venue and then finish the group stage against Ireland on June 16 in Lauderhill.
