T20 World Cup 2021: "You don't get known by your name but your deeds" - Aakash Chopra on Pakistan's win against India
Aakash Chopra has highlighted that Pakistan's T20 World Cup 2021 win against India is ample proof that matches are won by performances on the day and not based on past results.
Team India went into last night's match against the Babar Azam-led side with an immaculate 12-0 record against their neighbors in World Cup events. However, Pakistan thrashed the Virat Kohli-led side by 10 wickets to end India's winning streak.
While reviewing the encounter in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was effusive in his praise for Pakistan. He said:
"Well done, you [Pakistan] were not playing the history but a game. Whoever plays the game, wins it. We got this lesson on two consecutive nights that you don't get known by your name but your deeds."
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that England and Pakistan's wins against West Indies and India respectively proved that past records don't define a contest. Chopra elaborated:
"West Indies had come after winning five consecutive matches against England and England defeated them, dismissed them for 55. India here came after winning five consecutive matches against Pakistan and Pakistan has handed India a ten-wicket defeat."
Aakash Chopra highlighted that Team India have never been handed such a mauling by any opposition. He observed:
"I mean the monkey is off the back completely now and in style. We have been handed a defeat in the first match itself and it is not a loss but an annihilation, a decimation because no team had handed us a 10-wicket defeat in T20Is but the neighbors have done that."
The captain has a special message for Pakistan fans!
#WeHaveWeWill https://t.co/XxSZcSai85
Pakistan first restricted India to a score of 151/7 in their allotted 20 overs after inserting them into bat. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan then stitched together an unbroken 152-run partnership to take their team to an easy win.
"Pakistan won because they took decisions according to the match" - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra attributed Pakistan's win to the team staying in the moment. He said:
"Pakistan won because this Pakistan team took decisions according to the match. They were not stuck in history that they lost so many matches and nothing will happen now."
The former India opener pointed out that Pakistan did not take the safe option of batting first after winning the toss. Chopra explained:
"They could have adopted the safe approach by winning the toss and batting first because India's bowling might be slightly weak but scoring runs later is difficult and they had never won against India, last time also they made the mistake in Manchester."
Chopra concluded by highlighting that Pakistan took all factors into account while inserting India into bat. He elaborated:
"This Pakistan said they will read the conditions - dew will come later and India has only five bowlers in which also Bhuvneshwar Kumar does not have the form, Kohli might bowl and Varun is playing for the first time, so they will bowl first."
What a performance by the young lads. Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen and others stood out when it mattered the most 🙌
Well done team for breaking the World Cup jinx against India. Now backing the boys to go all the way to the T20 World Cup glory!
#T20WorldCup #PAKvIND https://t.co/wsbnnVC3Ze
India were never in the game when they lost their first three wickets cheaply. Although Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant helped India post a fighting score, it proved to be a walk in the park for the Pakistan openers.