IND vs PAK 2022: "Worked really hard to make things tough for India" - Saba Karim, Rajkumar Sharma hail Pakistan bowlers for their effort
Former Indian wicketkeeper Saba Karim is highly impressed with the way Pakistan bowlers kept their team in the game despite having just 148 to defend. The likes of Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah even suffered from cramps, but didn't give up and stretched the game till the last over.
Karim also stressed the contribution of left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, who picked up the big wickets of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli off his consecutive deliveries. Had it not been for that partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya, Pakistan could have inflicted another defeat on the Men in Blue.
Speaking to India News Sports after the game, here's what the former selector had to say about the nail-biting encounter:
"Pakistan bowlers worked really hard to make things tough for India. Left-arm spinner Nawaz also bowled well. But to win the game in the last over after coming out of a tough situation, we did really well. The bowlers ensured the target was just 148 and then that crucial partnership between Hardik and Jadeja sealed the game."
India won in last over, but the game could have gone either way: Rajkumar Sharma
Former Delhi Ranji Trophy cricketer and Virat Kohli's childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, was also present on the panel. He too lauded the Pakistan bowlers, especially the injured pacers, for making a match out of the total they had to defend.
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Sharma reckons it was anybody's game until the last few moments, so credit should be given where it is due. On this, he stated:
"The Pakistan bowlers tried their heart out and were potent despite cramping and made us work hard. Although we won the game in the last over, it could have gone either way and so credit needs to be given for their fightback."
The two teams are favorites to make it out of Group A, which also has Hong Kong. They might face each other again in the Super Four phase.