Former Pakistan cricket team skippers Shoaib Malik and Wasim Akram were in awe of India’s performance during the Cricket World Cup 2023 match against New Zealand in Dharamsala on Sunday. India were able to restrict New Zealand to 273 with Mohammed Shami claiming a five-wicket haul and later, Virat Kohli producing yet another chasing masterclass to keep the team’s unbeaten record intact in the competition.
During an interaction with A Sports, Wasim compared the Indian cricket team to a “runaway train with failed brakes” and said that it is adaptability in the face of challenges that makes India a dangerous side.
“Simply unstoppable. They are like a runaway train with failed brakes. This is how a squad should be. You shouldn’t have a problem while making changes to the XI; whether depending on the conditions or in case of an injury. They did so when Pandya wasn’t there. They had Shami who got a wicket on the first ball of his spell and then had SKY [Suryakumar Yadav] as well,” Wasim Akram said,” he added.
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“This Indian team has the weapon, it has got the merit, the skillset and most importantly, their execution of plans is so perfect. Kya chase kiya hai (What a chase)! They didn’t stumble under pressure despite losing wickets. They looked calm and were totally under control, which is a great sign for Team India,” he added.
Another former Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik also praised the Indian cricket team for their performance against New Zealand and pointed out that the bowlers were able to keep the Kiwis in check despite a strong partnership in the middle overs.
“The Indian batters are in great form. Even their bowlers are so good that they don’t hesitate in asking the opposition to bat first after winning the toss. They don’t allow the opposition to score those many runs so the chase becomes tricky.”
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“So had New Zealand gone past 300, it would have been tough for India to chase. Because the conditions were not easy. But the Indian bowlers conceded just 54 runs and picked up 6 wickets. So the credit should be given to the bowlers as well,” Shoaib Malik explained.
