PAK vs IND: Gary Kirsten sheds light on Pakistan’s defeat against India
Pakistan have lost both of their matches in T20 World Cup 2024
Pakistan head coach Gary Kirsten opened up after the Men in Green lost to India in New York on Sunday during the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.
India beat Pakistan by six runs in a low-scoring Group A encounter at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.
"I've only been here for a handful of days so I'm looking into the environment and what the issues are. I look at these players, I've watched them play for many years on TV, getting to know them, and they're fantastic guys. They're playing for their country, and there are a lot of very disappointed guys in the change room now,” Kirsten said in a press conference after the match.
“For me, the most important thing for every international player is that you keep growing and developing and understand the demands of international cricket. The game is changing every year, so if you're not improving, you're going to get found out some way."
Kirsten also opened about the nature of the pitch in New York, which has been under heavy criticism since the beginning of the tournament.
"Generally, the pitch kept lower. It was difficult to score for both batting sides. The outfield was quite slow as well, so it was never going to be a big total,” he said.
“I would say 140 would've been a very good total here. So India did not get that, and we had the game. We knew it was going to be a tight one. Sometimes it is fun seeing games like that. It's not always about huge scores."
Pakistan decided to bowl first, after winning the toss, on a pitch which with variable bounce. Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf claimed three wickets each while Rishabh Pant was India's highest scorer with a quick knock of 42 as they were dismissed for 119.
In reply, Mohammad Rizwan laid the platform for the chase with a patient knock of 31 but Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals while India's fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah took key wickets to finish with figures of 3-14. Pakistan were restricted to 113-7 in 20 overs.
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