New Delhi: In a blunt and telling verdict after Pakistan’s 61-run defeat to India in the T20 World Cup in Colombo, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson admitted that a fearless innings effectively decided the match long before the chase collapsed. Hesson said Kishan’s attacking style and rare form proved to be the decisive difference in this marquee clash, admitting that the opener’s stellar performance devastated Pakistan’s plans on a challenging surface.Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!“I think he’s fearless. He’s able to score on both sides of the court. So, he’s not just working on the leg side. We know he’s very strong there, but he can reverse. So, if you have spin, especially on the power play, that can be a challenge,” Hesson said after the game.
Kishan’s stunning 40-ball 77 helped India reach 175 for 7, but more importantly, it broke the backbone of Pakistan’s spin-heavy strategy on a slow Premadasa Stadium pitch. He attacked the slower bowlers with authority, scoring 66 runs off 37 deliveries of spin, forcing Pakistan’s bowlers out of their comfort zone.Hesson admitted that the pressure created by Kishan forced his bowlers to give up their advantage and ultimately changed the course of the game. He pointed out that scoring was difficult, apart from brief contributions from Kishan and Shivam Dube, which highlighted how special this knock was. “That was the highlight of the whole game, really. The way Kishan played, it cost us the game,” Hesson said.
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Pakistan had bigger problems in the chase as they managed just 114 runs and never recovered after the early wickets. The heavy defeat left them third in Group A, with hopes of qualifying dependent on beating Namibia in their final league game.Hutson admitted the loss took a heavy toll on the team emotionally given the scale of the game. He said there was deep disappointment in the dressing room because the players understood the significance of the game. “We knew it was a big tournament – Pakistan versus India. We had won five games and we were confident but today we were beaten,” he said.Despite the setback, Hesson urged players to stay calm and stay positive. He stressed that major tournaments often test teams under pressure and the challenge for Pakistan now is to trust their decision-making and come back stronger. The key question, he said, is how players react under pressure and whether they stick to the basics or stray away from them. According to him, improving this reaction will be crucial for the upcoming games.
