LONDON: Pakistan great Waqar Younis is new to join the bandwagon of international cricketers who are rankled over the astonishing Indian defeat in the high-staked fixture between latter and hosts England a day earlier.
“It’s not who you are.. What you do in life defines who you are.. Me not bothered if Pakistan gets to the semis or not but one thing is for sure.. Sportsmanship of few Champions got tested and they failed badly #INDvsEND #CWC2019,” he wrote.
It’s not who you are.. What you do in life defines who you are.. Me not bothered if Pakistan gets to the semis or not but one thing is for sure.. Sportsmanship of few Champions got tested and they failed badly #INDvsEND #CWC2019
— Waqar Younis (@waqyounis99) June 30, 2019
England moved a step closer to the World Cup semi-finals after Jonny Bairstow’s 111 set up a crucial 31-run win over India in Birmingham on Sunday. Eoin Morgan’s side posted 337-7 for the Kohli-eleven to chase. Needing a record World Cup run chase to win, India finished on 306-5 as they were beaten for the first time in the mega tournament.
Chasing 338, India lost opener KL Rahul as early as the third over of the match. Then Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma decided to take time to adjust with the pace of the pitch before taking any chances. As a result, India scored only 28 runs in the first 10 overs – their slowest start in the World Cup so far.
When Hardik Pandya was dismissed in the 45th over, India needed 71 runs in the final 5 overs with 5 wickets in hand but all Dhoni and Jadhav could manage was 39 runs. They hit just 2 boundaries in the last 5 overs.
Like the Burewala Express, many international sports personalities pointed fingers towards the Indian cricket team which, despite having a destructive batting line-up, could not chase the total.
Sports commentator Ian Darke noted that the performance “defies explanation unless they’d [India] rather have England than Pakistan in semis”.
Bizarre from India. Made no real attempt to get runs in last 10 overs. Defies explanation unless they’d rather have England than Pakistan in semis.
— Ian Darke (@IanDarke) June 30, 2019
Former footballer Gary Lineker felt that something was amiss since the game “was great until the last few overs”.
Very strange end to this game. Was great until the last few overs. ? #ENGIND
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) June 30, 2019
It was weird for Kevin Pietersen too.
Weird, wasn’t it!
— Kevin Pietersen? (@KP24) June 30, 2019
Netizens also wondered what lies behind the Indian “defeat”.
Malik Shahzaib posted a screenshot of the conversation between former English captain Nasser Hussain and his former Indian counterpart, Sourav Ganguly, in the commentary box. Apparently, dada, too, had “no explanation for this”.
This sums it all. #INDvsEND #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/C93hV7Nr0A
— Malik Shahzaib ?? (@mshahzaib_98) June 30, 2019
Indian fans were also devastated.
“THE SPIRIT OF CRICKET LOST,” Sudheendra Kulkarni wrote.
It would have been better if India had lost scoring 300 all out, rather than 306/5.
It’s not just that India lost.
THE SPIRIT OF CRICKET LOST.
SAD DAY FOR GREAT SPORT OF CRICKET.
— Sudheendra Kulkarni (@SudheenKulkarni) June 30, 2019