"We had the belief to change our record against them" - Babar Azam on Pakistan's momentous win against India in T20 World Cup 2021
Pakistan captain Babar Azam has named his team's stunning victory over India in the T20 World Cup 2021 as one of his most cherished moments of the past year. Pakistan had thrashed their arch-rivals in a crucial encounter to secure their maiden win against India in World Cup history.
Speaking about the same on Pakistan Cricket's official YouTube channel, the star batter revealed how their side were determined to improve their underwhelming record against India on the big stage. Azam also highlighted how Pakistan received a phenomenal response from their supporters to their momentous win.
Babar Azam said:
"We did not want to think of what has happened in the past. The way we started and the way we finished, there was a different buzz. The response from the fans after our first World Cup win against India was tremendous. It was a complete team effort. We had the belief to change our record against them."
The two cricketing nations had locked horns at the Dubai International Stadium on October 24. After being asked to bat first on the surface, India managed to post a below-par total of 151. Shaheen Shah Afridi gave his team a fabulous start by sending openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul packing early in the clash.
The Pakistan openers made a mockery of India's score as they chased down the target in the 18th over. Mohammad Rizwan was the top scorer with his unbeaten knock of 79 at the top. Babar Azam also contributed with 68 crucial runs to help his team register an emphatic win.
India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2021 match is the most watched or highest viewed in the History. - 167 Millions reach on television.
"The T20 World Cup 2021 semi-final loss was heartbreaking" - Babar Azam
The 27-year-old added labeled Pakistan's semi-final loss to Australia in the T20 World Cup 2021 as 'heartbreaking'. He pointed out that while they played exceptionally well in their Super 12's fixtures, they failed to cross the line in the all-important knockout fixture.
Azam acknowledged that the team made a lot of mistakes against the Aussies, which ultimately cost them a place in the final. However, he is hopeful that they will learn from the same and come up with an improved performance in the future.
Azam added:
"The T20 World Cup 2021 semi-final was one of the most heartbreaking moments of the year. We dominated the first half. Unfortunately, we fell short in the crucial encounter against Australia. We made several mistakes as a team and it is important to learn from the same."
Pakistan, who were unbeaten going into their semi-finals against Australia, posted a healthy total of 176 at the Dubai International Stadium. Australia clinched the closely-fought contest to book a berth in the final, thanks to Mathew Wade's late blitz.
Watch Pakistan Cricket Board's full video here: