Australia and Pakistan repeat Taunton 2019

Pakistan is kind of a team that always gives hope to fans like me but this Pakistan team is not like the 80s and 90s when they used to walk on water rather than sinking like today. This Pakistan team is overrated by the fans and media and yes, they fare well against Nepal, Afghanistan, Ireland, or out-of-form Sri Lanka — but against the top sides, when it matters, they are shown the place where truly belong — just an average side.

Four years ago — at Taunton, during a crunch Cricket World Cup match against Australia — the fielder at deep dropped David Warner and the Australian’s century made the difference four years later — Pakistan dropped him again — this time it was another dolly and replacement of Shadab Khan, who was also dropped four years ago — Usama Mir- failed to hook the big fish.

Aaron Finch and Warner punished the Pakistani attack for their sloppiness on the field and four years later — Mitchell Marsh and again, Warner sliced the Pakistani attack in pieces, spiced them well according to the South Indian recipe, and served the dish to the whole team so that they could learn something.

Pakistan pacers, who are rated highly by the fans and media, bowled poorly — it seems, these Pakistani bowlers don’t wish to keep it simple and always try to emulate Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis — and someone should tell them, they will never be like the past legends, rather, they are just good, who needs to focus on the simple things.

Hasan Ali lost his line consistently, and Haris Rauf looked for pace and lost his control — as a result — he vanished from Bangalore. Usama Mir did not know what he was doing on the field and with the ball and that below-par Mohammad Nawaz was gifting free bees like a minister distributing relief to the poor.

The Pakistani fielding? Well, that was so Taunton — they dropped catches, committed errors in the field, and gave away easy singles like the traffic police officer in Dhaka, who let all the cars move and create chaos.

Pakistan was a chaotic unit on the field and Babar Azam stood like an idiot on the field like Sarfraz Ahmed four years ago — out of idea, out of sort, and desperately searching for a place to hide.

It was Mohammad Amir who brought Pakistan back to the game at Taunton — four years later — Shaheen Shah Afridi brought them back with a five-wicket haul.

Pakistan, in response, oscillated between composed, dismal, and distinguished.

Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq played with enough composure and posted 134 in 21 overs.

Then the ever-cool Shafique dished out a no-stroke from the out space and walked back to the hut and all of a sudden Imam and Babr Azam had their pants on fire and three wickets fell in no time. It was up to Mohammad Rizwan and Shaud Shakeel again to repeat the heroics against Sri Lanka — but this is Australia and not Sri Lanka — who knows very well that Pakistan would crumble under pressure as the players are not the strongest mentally.

Australia had the last laugh — Pakistan paid a heavy price for their sloppiness and perhaps, their hope for a place in the final four have been lost tonight at Bangalore — the venue where they lost their World Champion crown to the arch-rival in 1996.