Shoaib Akhtar expressed his disappointment with the Pakistan cricket team after they were dismissed for only 191 runs during their Cricket World Cup 2023 match against India. The match took place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Pakistan had a promising start with Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam building a strong partnership. However, they lost wickets quickly and fell far short of a competitive score. Akhtar took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express his frustration, stating, “What a waste of opportunity on a great batting wicket. Disappointed. Very disappointed.”
India’s Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah put up an impressive performance with the ball, using their experience and variety of skills to deceive the Pakistan batsmen. As a result, Pakistan could only manage to score 191 runs in 42.5 overs. This is Pakistan’s second lowest score against India in the ODI World Cup, with their lowest being 180 all-out in 1999.
Both Siraj and Bumrah utilized the semi-old ball effectively, manipulating its length and utilizing the wobbly seam. Their efforts dismantled the Pakistan middle-order and put India in a strong position to secure their eighth victory in ODI World Cups. Kuldeep Yadav also played a crucial supporting role, contributing two wickets for 35 runs.
Despite some skepticism about captain Rohit Sharma’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss, the Indian team maintained control throughout the match. A 72-run partnership between Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan presented a challenge, but Siraj managed to get a breakthrough by inducing a misjudged shot from Azam. Bumrah then dismissed Rizwan with a slow off-cutter that found the gap between bat and pad, effectively breaking Pakistan’s resistance.
Pakistan’s openers, Abdullah Shafique and Imam ul Haque, had a decent start with a 41-run partnership. However, Siraj’s delivery caught Shafique off-guard, resulting in an lbw dismissal. Hardik Pandya, playing as the third seamer, had some initial difficulties but eventually took the wicket of Imam with a well-pitched delivery that created an outside edge.
While Babar and Rizwan had a partnership going, they were behind the expected run rate for the current ODI landscape. The Indian bowling unit managed to maintain their composure and make crucial breakthroughs on a flat track.
Overall, Pakistan missed an opportunity to post a competitive total on a favorable batting wicket, and Akhtar’s disappointment reflected the sentiment shared by many cricket fans. India’s bowlers, particularly Siraj and Bumrah, deserve credit for their impressive performance, limiting Pakistan to a low score.