Pakistan crashed to a 60-run defeat in opposition to New Zealand of their opening recreation of Champions Trophy 2025. Chasing a stiff goal of 321, Pakistan had been by no means actually within the hunt, following a poor begin that noticed them handle solely 22 of their first 10 overs. Pakistan stalwart Babar Azam couldn’t hearth, and was notably criticised for his gradual strike price. India batter Cheteshwar Pujara pinpointed precisely why Babar failed to attain huge, and criticised his method in the course of the run chase.
Pujara dissected precisely the place Babar went mistaken in the course of the run chase.
“There was no intent. Babar’s footwork in opposition to the spinner was not good. He was not utilizing his toes. He was not reaching for the ball. He was ready for the ball to come back to him,” Pujara stated, talking on the post-match present of ‘Sports activities Central‘.
Babar took as many as 81 balls to notch up his half-century, and scored solely 64 off 90 balls by the top.
Pujara said that Babar didn’t bat as freely as he may’ve, and should have been slowed down by strain.
“It appears like there was a psychological strain on him. In ODI cricket, it’s worthwhile to bat with freedom. He’s a pure stroke participant. He must bat with extra freedom. He must rotate strike and hit these odd boundaries. These days, a strike price of 70 and 80 just isn’t adequate. You should not play on your personal runs,” said Pujara.
Pakistan are anticipated to be below strain. In spite of everything, it’s the first time in almost three a long time that the nation is internet hosting a significant ICC occasion, with the final time being the 1996 World Cup, which they co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka.
Babar’s cautious method got here after Pakistan misplaced two wickets within the first 10 overs, as makeshift opener Saud Shakeel and captain Mohammad Rizwan departed cheaply. Rizwan was dismissed after a surprising acrobatic one-handed catch at level by New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips.
Pakistan bought a lift because of fiery knocks by Salman Ali Agha (42 off 28) and Khushdil Shah (69 off 49), however the two’s efforts weren’t sufficient.
Pakistan fell 60 runs brief in the long run, which means that their residence Champions Trophy marketing campaign bought off to a troublesome begin. They now should journey to Dubai to tackle arch-rivals India on February 23, earlier than coming again residence to Rawalpindi for the ultimate group recreation in opposition to Bangladesh.
Subjects talked about on this article
