World Cup: Here are the takeaways from Windies-Pakistan clash
Pakistan suffered an embarrassing defeat against two-time champions Windies in match number two of ICC World Cup 2019 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Friday. Pakistan scripted their second-lowest total in the World Cup, while they suffered their 11th consecutive defeat in the format, their worst streak in ODI history. Here we take a look at a few takeaways from this tie.
How did the match pan out?
Winning the toss, Windies skipper Jason Holder invited Pakistan to bat first, and the decision turned out to be a perfect one. Pakistan were off to a shaky start and kept losing wickets. They were bundled out for 105, courtesy Oshane Thomas, who produced figures of 4/27. In reply, it was Chris Gayle's splendid knock that allowed Windies to finish off things in style.
Windies: The underdogs of this World Cup
Although Windies did not qualify for the World Cup through normal circumstances, they are still a major force in world cricket. They are known to deliver the goods in white-ball cricket. Judging by their prolific all-round performance, they proved that they have the talent to qualify for the semis. Moreover, even if they win the tournament, it won't come as a surprise.
Low score allows Pakistan's prime bowlers to display true identity
While Pakistan would never want to repeat such a performance, the only positive was the resurgence of pacer Mohammad Amir. In this tie, Amir bowled an economical spell, claiming 3/26 at an economy of 4.33. However, other Pakistan players do need to pull their socks up. Pakistan have several talented batsmen in their arsenal and if their bowlers deliver, they can change their fortunes.
The unpredictable track of Trent Bridge
Following Pakistan's performance today, critics were left talking about the unpredictability of the Trent Bridge track. This was the very same ground that saw England scoring the highest ODI total of 481 last year, followed by the second highest total of 444 in 2016. Although the track can not be blamed completely, considering Gayle's knock, it might spring a surprise in upcoming matches.
Pakistan suffered similar loss in 1992 before winning the title
Pakistan's lowest World Cup total was during the 1992 edition, against England in Adelaide, scoring just 74. While the match ended in no result, Pakistan later went on to win the title, beating England in the final, in Melbourne. Could they script history once again?
