Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took to social media platform 'X' to defend Pakistan’s cautious batting approach in their high-stakes Champions Trophy 2025 clash against India. Pakistan started well in the powerplay, but the quick dismissals of Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq forced them into a defensive mode during the middle overs.
Pakistan had already struggled with their batting rhythm in their tournament opener against New Zealand. Playing with a makeshift batting lineup, they found it difficult to chase a target in Karachi, managing only 22 runs in the first powerplay and continuing to struggle through the middle overs.
Watch - Axar Patel's bullet throw sends Imam-ul-Haq packing during IND vs PAK Champions Trophy clash
A similar pattern emerged in their match against India, as Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel found it tough to rotate the strike against both pace and spin, allowing India to maintain control.
However, Ashwin pointed out that Pakistan’s recent batting performances shouldn’t be directly compared, as the ongoing match in Dubai is being played on a slow, sluggish surface, unlike the batting-friendly conditions in Karachi.
"Tired pitches in Dubai, don’t confuse Pakistan’s previous batting innings to this one. Wasn’t the easiest of chases in the last game here," Ashwin wrote on X.
Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif also highlighted the difference between the conditions in Pakistan and Dubai ahead of the mega clash.
"The average first innings score is approximately 198 in Dubai in the last 10 games. Batting is tough there. So, India need to bat well to win the match."
"But, it’s easy to bat in Pakistan. In the last 10 games, the average first-innings score is nearly 300 [298], and in Dubai, it’s nearly 200," Kaif had mentioned on his YouTube channel.
The opening match of the Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Stadium between India and Bangladesh followed a similar pattern in the middle overs. Led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh struggled to reach a total of 228 after an early collapse. India also faced difficulties in the middle phase of their run chase. Meanwhile, Pakistan endured a lengthy boundary drought, going 55 deliveries without finding the ropes during their middle-over struggles.
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