A Thriller match was played between India and Pakistan on the night of February 15th at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, but Pakistan suffered a crushing defeat by 61 runs.
In response to a target of 175 runs, the team was reduced to just 114 runs in 18 overs. After the match, captain Salman Ali Agha clearly blamed the spin bowlers.
Spinners Didn’t Deliver When It Mattered
Before the match, Pakistan’s spinners were considered the team’s trump card. But the story on the field was different. The Indian batsmen played freely and put Pakistan’s spin attack under pressure.
In the post-match presentation, Agha said, “Our spinners had an off day. Execution was missing in some parts. We believe in our spinners; they’ve done well in the last six months.”
He repeatedly mentioned ‘execution’ and admitted that the bowlers failed to bowl according to plan.
Usman Tariq took the wicket of Suryakumar Yadav, bowling at an economy rate of 6.00 in his four overs, but Abrar Ahmed proved too expensive at the other end. He conceded 38 runs in his three overs and went wicketless.
For India, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Verma, Shivam Dubey, and Rinku Singh combined to put up a strong total, putting Pakistan on the back foot.
Batting Collapse Made It Worse
The bowlers were at fault, but the batting also failed completely. Wickets fell quickly in the powerplay, and the team never recovered.
Agha himself admitted, “We lost too many wickets in the powerplay with the bat. In the first innings, it was tacky; the ball was gripping as well. The execution was missing with the ball. The pitch played better in the second innings than it did in the first.”
The stadium was packed, and the pressure of the high-voltage match was palpable.
Agha said, “In these kinds of games, emotions are always going to be high. Have to deal with it. Have played enough games like that. Have a game in two days’ time; have to look forward to that. Need to win that game and qualify for the Super Eights. Then it’s a new tournament again.”
Pakistan’s next match will be against Namibia on February 18 in Colombo. This match will be crucial for the team, as their hopes of reaching the Super Eights hinge on it.
