More than 120,000 fans thronged the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, to witness the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup’s much-anticipated clash between archrivals India and Pakistan. The majority of attendees were fervent Indian supporters, creating an overwhelmingly partisan atmosphere. India demonstrated their dominance, securing a convincing seven-wicket victory over Pakistan and maintaining their unblemished World Cup record against their neighbors.
Pakistan’s batting lineup crumbled, leading to their dismissal for just 191 runs in the 43rd over, all credit to the disciplined performance of the Indian bowlers. The stadium atmosphere, accompanied by enthusiastic chants and music, heavily favored the home team, creating an intimidating environment for the Pakistani players.
Pakistan’s team director, Mickey Arthur, candidly expressed his opinion about the partisan atmosphere, noting that it didn’t feel like an ICC event but more like a bilateral series or a BCCI event. He raised concerns about the public address system organizers favoring India by not frequently playing Pakistan’s renowned patriotic song, “Dil Dil Pakistan.” However, Arthur did not use this as an excuse for Pakistan’s loss.
Visa issues prevented Pakistan fans from attending the stadium in large numbers, leaving only a handful of expatriate Pakistan supporters from the United States and the United Kingdom present. The diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, dating back to the 2008 attacks on Mumbai, have prevented the two countries from playing a full bilateral series.
Arthur admitted that his team’s batting performance fell short, with only Babar Azam (50) and Mohammad Rizwan (49) making substantial contributions. He believed that Pakistan could have been more aggressive, especially against the Indian spinners.
India’s bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja, each secured two wickets as Pakistan crumbled in 42.5 overs, despite briefly reaching 155-2. Pakistan’s coaches recognized their missed opportunities during the match.
With this victory, India extended their unblemished World Cup record against Pakistan to 8-0. Both Mickey Arthur and Pakistan’s head coach, Grant Bradburn, expressed their disappointment regarding the atmosphere at the stadium, emphasizing the absence of Pakistani fans and the unusual setting for such a high-profile match.
