'Kishan took the game away': Pakistan coach after Colombo defeat
What's the story
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has defended his team's decision to bowl first against India in their recent T20 World Cup match. The game, played at Colombo's Premadasa Stadium, saw Pakistan lose by a huge margin of 61 runs. Despite the loss, Hesson stood by his choice and blamed Ishan Kishan's batting performance and India's bowling in the powerplay for their defeat.
Strategy defense
Hesson on bowling 1st against India
Hesson defended the decision to bowl first, saying, "Look, I think if you look at the game, the ball spun half as much in the second innings and the ball skid on." He added that there was "nothing wrong with the decision to bowl first," but it was India's quality of bowling in the powerplay and Kishan's batting that proved decisive.
Match impact
Kishan's innings took the game away from us: Hesson
Kishan's explosive innings of 77 off just 40 balls was a major factor in India's total of 176. Pakistan were folded for 114 in response. Hesson said, "I think the way Ishan played took the game away from us." He also acknowledged that India probably scored about 25 runs above par on that surface, further complicating Pakistan's chase.
Batting woes
Pakistan batting crumbled under pressure
Hesson also spoke about Pakistan's batting performance, which crumbled under pressure. He said, "Look it is very much when a guy's putting you under pressure, it's - are you going to stick to your basics or are you going to go away from that?" He added that as the tournament progresses, they will be put under pressure again and how they respond will be crucial.
Psychological pressure
Batsmen may have felt pressure chasing big total, says Hesson
Hesson also noted that the nature of the target may have affected his batsmen's mindset even before they started their chase. He said, "I think when you see a score and you know that it's probably a little bit above par, you almost feel like you've got to play like Superman and take the game on earlier than conditions allow."