Asia Cup 2022: Flaws that denied Babar Azam’s Pakistan victory in nail-biter towards India

It was agony for Pakistan on Super Sunday. The Men in Green had each probability of beating India within the Asia Cup 2022 Group A match. But that wasn’t the case as India received the match by 5 wickets on the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Last yr on the identical venue in Dubai, Pakistan defeated India by 10 wickets within the T20 World Cup 2022. But they could not fairly replicate their efficiency on August 28.

After India received the toss and opted to area first, fortunes modified repeatedly. In the tip, Hardik Pandya’s three-wicket haul and a well timed knock of 33 off 17 sealed the deal for the Men in Blue.

Pakistan, within the meantime, had a great deal of probabilities to get the higher hand over India, however they stored letting India off the hook. India had been too good a staff to not make the most of Pakistan’s missed alternatives.

Let’s check out the errors Pakistan may have prevented: Troubles towards short-pitched bowling

Babar Azam of Pakistan after getting out. Courtesy: AP

Right from the phrase go, Pakistan had their justifiable share of troubles whereas going through high quality short-pitched bowling. After the match, former batter Salman Butt stated that Pakistan’s skill to face brief balls has persevered since Mickey Arthur’s stint as the pinnacle coach.

Indian bowlers churned out laborious lengths on a sluggish floor and Pakistan batters had minimal solutions. Arguably two of their greatest batters, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, perished to brief balls from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya respectively.

The likes of Khushdil Shah and Fakhar Zaman additionally did not deal with the well-directed bouncers from Indian bowlers. It’s fairly evident now that different groups would wish to exploit Pakistan’s shortcomings.

Shadab and Iftikhar’s detached batting positions

Iftikhar Ahmed of Pakistan performs a shot. Courtesy: AP

Shadab Khan is somebody who takes his time, offers in singles and doubles earlier than going for large photographs. Even whereas enjoying for Islamabad United within the Pakistan Super League (PSL), he largely bats within the prime 4 and performs match-winning knocks.

However, towards India, he got here to bat at No.6 at a stage when Pakistan wanted somebody to play large photographs proper from the outset. Quite expectedly, he did not carry out.

In one other stunning transfer, Iftikhar Ahmed was despatched to bat at No.4 after the powerplay when Pakistan required a batter, who wanted to graft and grind after the Men in Green misplaced Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman.

Although Iftikhar scored within the high-20s, Pakistan may have made higher utilisation of him and Shadab within the batting order.

Catches win matches

Fakhar Zaman of Pakistan in motion. Courtesy: AP

Back in 2017, Virat Kohli survived a scare off Mohammad Amir after being dropped within the slips. To his dismay, luck did not favour him for lengthy as Amir accounted for his wicket quickly after within the closing of the Champions Trophy.

But this time round, the rub of the inexperienced went in Kohli’s means, though he could not take loads of benefit of the lifeline. In the fourth ball of India’s run-chase, Kohli chased one outdoors the off-stump with laborious fingers and located an outdoor edge.

However, Fakhar Zaman dropped him within the slips. India may have been two down had the catch been taken. Naseem Shah breathed hearth and had already received the massive wicket of KL Rahul.

Kohli, within the meantime, went on to attain 35 runs off 34 balls with three fours and one six. He received out whereas making an attempt to chip Mohammad Nawaz down the bottom for a boundary and hit the ball straight down the throat of Iftikhar Ahmed.

Babar Azam’s mis-fielding

Babar Azam of Pakistan shakes fingers with India’s Rohit Sharma. Courtesy: AP

Pressure will get the higher of even the perfect within the enterprise, they are saying. Something comparable occurred in the course of the dying phases of the match. When India wanted 21 runs off 12 balls, Haris Rauf conceded two singles off the primary two balls and made it even harder for India.

On the third ball, Rauf caught Hardik Pandya off guard, however the latter someway managed to cross the in-field. Babar Azam received himself into a great place to chase the ball down. However, as an alternative of preserving the ball in play, he parried it over the ropes.

Although he tried to make amends, it was all too late. Hardik had already run three and he received one further run after Babar’s misfielding within the crunch second.

Rizwan fumbles in key moments

Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan performs a shot. Courtesy: AP

In a crunch sport, it is actually obligatory for the fielding aspect to avoid wasting runs. However, Pakistan fielders misplaced their cool to some extent. Apart from Babar, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan additionally wasn’t at his best.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth overs from Shahnawaz Dahani and Haris Rauf, Pakistan conceded 5 wides. But three of these runs got here after Rizwan fumbled behind the stumps. He failed to gather the ball cleanly and the Indian batters confirmed presence of thoughts to get further runs.

In the tip, the mishaps turned out to be expensive for Pakistan as Rohit Sharma’s India received with two balls to spare in Dubai.

Not utilising Nawaz correctly

Mohammad Nawaz of Pakistan celebrates after choosing up a wicket. Courtesy: AP

In the final seven overs, India wanted 65 runs to win with Ravindra Jadeja and Suryakumar Yadav within the center. Barring one over from Nawaz, the specialist spinners, additionally together with Shadab Khan, had accomplished seven overs collectively.

From the 14th over onwards, Babar went all-out along with his quick bowling trio of Dahani, Naseem and Rauf. The 27-year-old held Nawaz again. Mind you, Nawaz was as soon as on a hat-trick after dismissing each Kohli and Rohit.

However, Babar determined to not use his full quota of overs early on. In the tip, Nawaz had the daunting process of defending seven runs off the final over.

He began brilliantly after choosing up Jadeja’s wicket, adopted by a single and a dot ball. However, with a spinner bowling the final over, boundaries are just about inevitable until and till one has the category of Sunil Narine or Rashid Khan.

Nawaz tried his greatest earlier than ultimately being hit down the bottom for a six by Hardik Pandya. He speared the ball in, however Pandya was equal to the duty and cleared lengthy on with the utmost ease.

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