Pakistan Vs India – What was the Difference

Pakistani openers started the inning carefully and played their shots according to their own desires because of dead wicket.  There was nothing on the wicket for bowlers and the ball was coming nicely on the bat after pitching. Realizing this situation, Indian bowlers changed their strategy. They delivered slow deliveries, low full tosses and Yorkers outside the off stump in the last 15 overs of the inning. By this strategy, they succeeded to prevent Pakistan from scoring 360 or 370 runs, which was looking quite easy on one stage of the game.

Pakistani openers played very good innings but after completing the centuries, they felt like their responsibility is over. They played lazy strokes and gave up their wickets on crucial stage. They were required to stay on the wicket because at that stage lot of overs were remaining. They were set and were in the position to utilize the power play more positively.

Shahid Khan Afridi was sent to hit some boundaries on a stage when quick score was required, but unlike Shahid Afirid he scored only 9 runs on 15 bowels. This effort from Shahid Afridi is questionable. Its look like he is facing some fitness problems because his bowling was also not upto mark. In last 10 overs Pakistani batsmen did not succeeded to hit boundaries and according to experts, they were 40 runs short from the safe target.

In bowling, Muhammad Hafeez got the valuable wicket of Gutam Gambeer in his first over. However, surprisingly, Hafeez was changed in next over. Changing a successful bowler in next over is debatable.  Umer Gul started well, but Cheema was punished. After punishment in initial overs, Pakistani bowlers were required to change their strategy according to the condition of the wicket, but they still tried to got out the batsmen on short pitched deliveries on a wicket which was heaven for batting.  

The captaincy of  Misbah is also debatable. After bad bowling when India scored 200 runs in 31 overs, it was realized that Pakistan failed to stop the flow of the runs.  Now it was required to adopt aggressive stance with the hope to get some quick wickets, but Misbah even did not take slip for Saeed Ajmal who is famous for taking wicket on his Doosra.  Resultantly when Kohli edged the ball towards the slips, there was no one to take the catch and Kohli even got boundary on that beautiful delivery.  Hamad Azam was playing as an allrounder but he was not even tried for a single over.

Bad captaincy by Pakistan, economical bowling in lost 15 overs by Indians and extra ordinary good inning by Virat Kohli made India successful.

It is expected that the final will be played between Pakistan and India. For the final, Pakistani bowlers should come out with a plan to let not give easy runs to Indians. By stopping the flow of the runs, Pakistani bowlers can put some pressure on strong Indian batting line and in pressure situation Pakistani bowlers can compel Indians for making mistakes.