- Pakistan’s head coach, Grant Bradburn, expressed gratitude to India for their humbling defeat.
- Pakistan suffered a significant 228-run loss to India in a rain-affected Super Four match.
- Bradburn acknowledged that Pakistan’s batting unit had struggled recently.
Head coach Grant Bradburn expressed his gratitude to India for providing a wake-up call to the Pakistani cricket team after their humbling defeat. Pakistan suffered a massive 228-run loss to India in a rain-affected Super Four match, serving as a preview of the upcoming World Cup in India.
After rain forced the game to be rescheduled, India set a formidable target of 356-2 in Colombo. Pakistan, in response, faltered and was bowled out for just 128 runs in 32 overs, marking India’s most significant ODI victory over their arch-rivals.
Bradburn addressed reporters after the defeat, acknowledging the lessons learned from this experience. He noted that Pakistan had not lost a game of cricket in the past three months, making this loss a timely reminder of the need for consistent performance. He emphasized the importance of showing up and giving their best on the field every day, considering it a valuable lesson.
Pakistan had chosen to bowl first after winning the toss, but their fortunes declined after India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill established a 121-run opening partnership. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul later contributed with centuries, extending India’s dominance with an unbeaten partnership of 233 runs. Bradburn admitted that Pakistan had been outperformed in all aspects of the game and refused to make excuses for the loss.
While Pakistan’s bowling attack had shown promise in a previous Asia Cup game against India, where they bowled out their opponents for 266, this time, India’s top-order batsmen were more formidable. Bradburn acknowledged that this strong response from India’s batting lineup was not unexpected, given the reputation of Pakistan’s bowling attack.
Bradburn also addressed Pakistan’s batting struggles in recent matches but remained optimistic about their potential, emphasizing the team’s trust in their batting unit. He saw this period as an opportunity for improvement and consistency.
In their next match, Pakistan is scheduled to face Sri Lanka on Thursday, aiming to recover from their defeat to India and build momentum for the upcoming World Cup.