Pakistani cricketers are mentally broken after being crushed by India: Hesson

Sports Desk
There is a sense of sadness in the Pakistan dressing room after their humiliating 61-run defeat to arch-rivals India. Head coach Mike Hesson admitted that the way his team surrendered at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday left the players mentally devastated.

The high-voltage match in Group A of the T20 World Cup was full of excitement. The team took to the field at the last minute after getting the green signal from the Pakistan government, but its performance did not reflect that. Pakistan were all out for just 114 runs in reply to defending champions India’s 175 runs.

“The dressing room is very disappointing right now because the players know very well how important this match is to the people of Pakistan,” Hesson said in the post-match press conference.

This was Pakistan’s fourth consecutive defeat against India under Hesson. After losing three times in last year’s Asia Cup, they have now tasted defeat at the World Cup stage. Hesson added, “We came into the field with confidence after winning five consecutive matches. But today India outclassed us in all departments.”
Ishan Kishan’s devastating 77-run innings at the start of the match laid the foundation for India to build a big total. Abhishek Sharma made a quick comeback, but short but effective innings from Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube gave India a fighting capital.

In reply, Pakistan faced Jasprit Bumrah’s cannon. They were eliminated from the match after losing 3 wickets for just 13 runs. Usman Khan scored 44 runs but their fight ended in 18 overs due to the failure of other batsmen. This is Pakistan’s third lowest score against India in T20Is.

Despite criticism for his decision to field after winning the toss, Hesson stood firm on his decision. According to him, the pitch initially provided support for the spinners, but Ishan Kishan’s batting storm ruined all their plans.

With this win, India have secured their place in the Super Eights after winning three consecutive matches. On the other hand, Pakistan’s semi-final dreams are now hanging in the balance. Apart from their big win against Namibia on Wednesday, they will now have to look at another equation.

Pakistan’s record of defeats against India on the World Cup stage has become even longer. Their win-loss margin against India in the T20 World Cup is now 1-8. And in the ODI World Cup

They have not won a single one of their 8 matches against India.
Regarding the upcoming match, Hesson said, “We have to forget this defeat and bounce back quickly. We played good cricket before the World Cup, we want to return with that confidence.”