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Virender Sehwag lampoons Pakistan for 'destroying themselves' in final vs India: 'Hasn't happened for the first time'
Virender Sehwag mocked Pakistan's self-destructive tendencies, pointing out that even strong starts quickly unravel because their own batters gift wickets.
Legendary India opener Virender Sehwag blasted the Pakistan batters for their horrible collapse in the Asia Cup final, which led to their defeat in Dubai. The Pakistan team had an almost perfect start with the bat against India, with the opening pair of Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman sharing an 84-run stand. Both openers looked in good touch as Farhan even scored a half-century. However, the Indian spin trio - Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel - turned the tide completely in India's way in the middle overs, triggering a massive collapse as from 113/1, Pakistan were bundled out for 146.
Pakistan's middle order faltered throughout the tournament, with skipper Salman Ali Agha's batting one of the biggest disappointments in their campaign.
Sehwag was critical of Pakistan's batting approach and said the ambition to score 200-225 led to their collapse.
"This has not happened for the first time with Pakistan. They start well and then try to score too many runs. They are 100/1 and then they think 200-225 should be scored. Everyone tries to hit and get out one after the other," Sehwag said on Sony Sports.
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Sehwag pulled no punches while dissecting Pakistan’s batting collapse. The former India opener mocked their self-destructive tendencies, pointing out that even strong starts quickly unravel because their own batters gift wickets under pressure, making opposition bowlers’ jobs easier.
"Pakistan are famous for destroying themselves. If you get out while batting well, you put pressure on the next batter. So one batter had to stay if the opening partnership was good. I feel Pakistan don't need bowlers to get them out. Their batters get themselves out," he added.
“Pakistan batters' shot selection was horrible”
The Indian veteran further singled out Fakhar Zaman for wasting a solid start. He slammed the team’s poor shot selection, noting that after comfortably seeing off the powerplay, Pakistan needed a set batter to anchor the innings, but Zaman’s dismissal left them short of a big total.
"I would say the shot selection was not right. We can say the Indian bowlers bowled well, which they did to an extent, but the shot selection was horrible. Fakhar Zaman, who was set, got out to a wide ball. You had played out the powerplay and had reached 45 or 46 easily, and then you played that shot to get out. I think he disappointed a lot because one set batter had to stay if Pakistan had to reach 180-190," Sehwag observed.
