ICC ODI World Cup 2023: Pakistan vs. India The ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 was advertised as one of the major competitions of the mega event. But in the end, it was an unfair match, with the Babar Azam-led team losing to the Indian cricket team by a score of 7 wickets. Pakistan was limited to 191 runs by five Indian bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, who each took two wickets. The team’s Indian hitters, captained by Rohit Sharma, then made sure that there were no problems while chasing.
Mickey Arthur’s Take on the India vs. Pakistan Match in Ahmedabad
It was a sea of blue jerseys on Saturday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where the India vs. Pakistan ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 match was being played. After the game, Mickey Arthur, the director of the Pakistani squad, claimed that playing in a hostile crowd had the effect of being at a “BCCI event.” Arthur said: “Look, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t. It didn’t seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI event. I didn’t hear ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ coming through the microphones too often tonight.” However, Arthur argued that the team’s crushing defeat against India could not be justified by a lack of fan support.
Handling the Hostile Crowd and BCCI’s Light-Hearted Response
“So yes, that does play a role, but I’m not going to use that as an excuse because for us it was about living the moment, it was about the next ball and it was about how we were going to combat the Indian, the Indian players tonight,” he added. A senior BCCI officer was questioned and responded in jest. “No harm in playing Dil Dil Pakistan. But do tell us when would it be played? When Babar was bowled or Rizwan got dismissed? Or when Rohit hit Shaheen for a six. You can only play it for fans and there were no fans.”
Mickey Arthur’s Assessment and Wasim Akram’s T-Shirt Controversy
Arthur did acknowledge that Pakistan’s cricket wasn’t courageous that day. “We were a little bit timid tonight with our overall performance. I would have liked us to really take the game on just a little bit more. It’s a massive occasion, as we know, but I think we just went into our shells a little bit,” Arthur said. In a conversation on A-Sports, Akram blasted Babar for accepting t-shirts from Kohli in front of cameras while on the pitch, with the image being continuously shown on televisions around the world. Even if Babar had to beg Kohli for clothes, according to Akram, it ought to have been done in the dressing room, away from the cameras.
T-Shirt Exchange Controversy and Timing
“That’s what I exactly said when I saw the picture (getting the shirts publicly, not privately),” Akram said. “Today was not the day to do this. If you want to do it – (agar chache ke puttar ne keh diya hai ki t-shirt chahiye kohli ki) if your uncle’s son has asked you to get Kohli’s shirt – then do it after the game in the dressing room,” he said.
Babar Azam’s Post-Match Reflection
After the match, Babar acknowledged that his squad had not played particularly well. Pakistan’s goal was 280-290 runs, however they only made it to 191. “We started well. Good partnership between me and Imam. We wanted to play normal cricket (me and Rizwan). Suddenly we had a collapse and didn’t finish well. The way we started, wanted to target 280-290. With the new ball we are not upto the mark. The way Rohit is playing – he played an outstanding innings,” he said after the match.
Pitch Quality and India’s Bowling Performance in the Match
However, India’s skipper Rohit Sharma insulted Pakistan’s batters by claiming that the pitch wasn’t 190 degrees. “The bowlers were the ones today as well who set the game up for us. I don’t think it was a 190 pitch. At one stage we were looking at 280. The way they showed grit says a lot. That is something we pride ourselves in. Whoever gets the ball does the job. We’ve got 6 individuals who can do the job with the ball. My job as a captain is important there as well. It’s to read the conditions and figure out who’s the right guy to do the job,” Rohit said after the match.
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