New Delhi: The phrase “Cricket is a game of uncertainties” might be a well-known cliche but it doesn’t mean it’s not true. There is no bigger recent example than the seismic events in Indian and Pakistan cricket over the last month, where both teams have experienced a sensational turnaround of fortunes.
Just a month back, the cricket fraternity was raving about Team India following their superb series win against Bangladesh. The triumph in the second Test which was called the ‘Miracle of Kanpur caught widespread attention as Rohit Sharma & Co earned effusive praise from all corners. The sensational win extended India’s unbeaten home run to 18 series and naturally, New Zealand were seen no more than as India’s next causality.
Meanwhile, Pakistan were getting hammered after suffering a crushing innings loss against England in the opening Test despite posting a first-innings total of over 550 runs. The humiliating defeat was another massive blow for the Men in Green, who were fresh from losing a home series against Bangladesh for the first time in their Test history. With another home humiliation in sight, Pakistani fans feared the worst for their team ahead of the second Test in Multan.
But nobody, even in their wildest dreams, then could have imagined what was about to transpire in the next 30 days.
A dramatic fall from grace
Team India, riding high on the momentum from the Bangladesh series win, was handed a reality check by the Kiwis in the Bengaluru Test. From poor decision-making to faulty strategies, the WTC table toppers paid the price for getting the basics wrong.
The humiliating 46-all out in the first innings set the tone for the series as India never really recovered from the disastrous outing. That the visitors got the better of India on both pace-friendly and spin-assisting wickets tells a lot about the performance of both teams.
Indian batters were found wanting on the same pitch, which looked like a different track altogether when the Kiwi batters took the crease.
All the comeback hopes faded as the series progressed with the Kiwis successfully exposing flaws hidden in India’s batting and bowling.
(Photo: PTI)
There was no way back for the Indians as Tom Latham’s men kept their foot on the pedal and shut out the hosts with their relentless brand of cricket.
A fortress that once looked impenetrable was breached in a crushing manner as India endured their first-ever whitewash in a three-match series.
Pakistan rise like a phoenix from the ashes
After the hammering innings defeat in the opening Test in Multan, Pakistan needed to make some bold calls and radical changes. And that’s exactly what they did.
England scored 800+ runs in the first innings to outbat the hosts in the first Test and Pakistan’s new selector Aqib Javed vowed to avoid a similar situation in the next two Tests by changing the conditions of the pitch and selecting the players according to it.
Chosen ironically by Javed a former fast bowler, the spin-friendly track was watered and then dried using the sun and massive fans heavily aided the Pakistan spinners – Sajid Khan and Noman Ali – who picked all 20 wickets of England as Pakistan finally won their first Test match at home in nearly 4 years.
The call to rest star players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah worked wonders for the team as their replacements put in a solid performance. It was a much-needed win for both Pakistan and Masood, who registered his first win as a Test captain, his first in 7 games after replacing Babar Azam as the Test captain.
Pakistan repeated the spin dose in the third Test at Rawalpindi as Noman Ali and Sajid Khan combined to deadly effect again, picking up 19 of the 20 wickets, as the hosts romped to a sensational series win over inside the opening session on day three with a nine-wicket win.
(Photo: AFP)
In total Sajid and Noman bagged 39 of the 40 England wickets to fall in the final two Tests to prompt Pakistan’s sensational change in fortune.
The remarkable series win lifted the spirits of Pakistan cricket, who then carried their form to Australia, albeit with a different-look side including the returns of Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah.
The narrow two-wicket loss in the opener didn’t deter the spirit of the visitors, who staged a superb turnaround to annihilate the Australians in the next two matches. The Pakistani pace attack, led by a rampant Haris Rauf, destroyed the Aussies to power the 1992 champions to their first ODI series win in Australia since 2022.
(Photo: AFP)
In a matter of 30 days, Pakistan’s rise from the depths and India’s fall from the top has once again proven the old saying -“Cricket is a game of uncertainties” – right.
The beauty of cricket lies in its uncertain and unpredictable nature. In the last month or so, Indian and Pakistan cricket have experienced a sensational turnaround of fortunes. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
