T20 World Cup: Afghanistan’s Exceptional Performance help Seal First-ever Win Over Australia

Hello everyone, you're watching Pitch Battle. I'm your host Indra Neil. I exactly don't know what is happening in T20 World Cup. I mean, we've seen Pakistan losing the US, we've seen so many other accidents happening. But what happened this morning, Australia losing to Afghanistan, I'm actually scared. I mean, India, Dutch Wood is looking very, very good as a side. I mean, we have we have a strong batting, we have a performing middle order. Middle order is supposed to be the backbone, right? All this while Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, they were not scoring this coatings. Bangladesh also, it's looking all bright and sunny. It's not too hot. It's absolutely pleasant for Team India in the West Indies and looking like they're hot favourites, are they? I mean, want to know from our experts. We are joined by Mr. Abhay Apte, former president of Maharashtra Cricket Association. Welcome to the show, Sir. Pitch battle. It is incomplete without a pitch battle, actually so. And we have Avinash, the editor of Mike Hill, Sir, early in the morning. What a shocker when people who got up to the news that Sunday morning, you're getting up lazy. OK, Australia may have won. It's all right, we'll tackle them. We'll see how it happens. And this, the the game which is going to happen tomorrow is going to be all important because if you beat Australia, Australia in danger of qualification. And we are in and we don't have to face Australia probably at all because we get really scared when Australia comes calling in the real. First of all, thank you for having me on this show, which looks to be a very impressive show. Just to start with, I would like to make a slight amendment. In your introduction you were saying some accidental verdicts, accidental match results. No, they are hard earned. They are well earned results. If you feel that USA has beaten Pakistan or if you feel that today Afghanistan has won against Australia, that's a hard earned victory and they deserve it. And that's the beauty of a competition. When the teams which are not ranked very high, they come up and they start beating the Champions. I think that is where we feel that the tournament has really picked up. And early morning, in fact, I had got up. As you know, that's my habit to read some papers and study something. And suddenly I saw that it's it's a good match, Let me start watching. And then I left everything and I was there watching this match. What a beautiful match. And then yes, tomorrow's match becomes very important. India is doing so well all along and they have shown a lot of promise. But one thing which I was talking to someone in the morning, Australians are known for playing good finals. Actually, if you see, even if they perform not that good, they're experts. And I think this is where we choked last time. So that is going to be a very, very thrilling encounter going ahead from this stage. As you correctly state, West Indians are also doing pretty well and they are also going to show something both the both the tables, India and South Africa are sitting at 4 points and it's it's now with Afghanistan's victory, the table is completely open. And let's hope that it becomes still more thrilling as the as we proceed to the remaining part of the tournament. Very well said. So absolutely. And Avinash, when you come to think of it, what happened in 2023, that match where Maxwell got a 200? And I would simply say revenge well taken. I mean, what else can I say about this? Yes, and definitely it was yeah, obviously in that as well the way Afghanistan they they I mean seven down Australia under 900 and they end up dropping a sitter and gave Glenn Maxwell. And what happened after that was one of the finest knocks in the in the World Cup that one could ever see because literally he was batting on one leg. He was not feeling well. He had cramps in his leg and the way he's hand eye coordination. And that's why Maxwell is such a dangerous battle, battle. And soon after the match, the entire Afghani side, if you looked at them, they were completely dejected and they were shocked that what kind of result had come out. Because the way they were playing, they dominated the game. They were looking in cruise control and to win the game against mighty Australians. And it would have been a biggest, the biggest upset of the tournament. Australia lost to Afghanistan back then, but that happened. But somewhere the fire in the belly we are in. I mean the World Cup is being held in the Caribbean. Very popular documentary The Fire in Babylon, which just narrates the entire ups and drowns of the early W Indies team and before they become became world champions back-to-back under Clive Lloyd's captaincy. So that fire in the Babylon, some some I think they just saw inspiration and they've done something, but he was expecting them to it's we should not call upset because of one. It sounds like a very promising side and they have a very future as well because they are, they have this habit of being the giant killers. And once this attitude just seeps into them, into their mentality and the mindset, Afghanistan are going to be a very dangerous side. They are. I mean, how easy they're looked in front of the Indians. In fact, Indians when they are playing after these league matches, we we play as if we are we are here to conquer. I mean absolutely spotless, clinical, you know, I mean, that's what it's it's amazing the the way they played this league matches the Indian team and yesterday was no. And everything goes upside down. Topsy turvy. We become dysfunctional with when knock, knock matches happened. I think I've spoken about it earlier. Also, we get allergies on our skin. Hopefully this time it's going to be different because one last time we're seeing Virat and probably Virat and Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma playing together. But your thoughts on our India, you know, opposition like Afghanistan, we sort of ease them out so easily. I mean this is a great thing about Indian team. They were achieved, you know, 20 years ago it was not like that. If you would play the semi final, they would say oh good, great effort, well done my boys. But now things have moved on. We have such a, what do you call it? It's only the normally the money power, the talent wise Also this has become the sort of Mika of world cricket, the Indian soil. And when you see plenty of tunnel coming out, talents coming out like that. And so we and we have so many waiting in the wings. I mean their soil is not there, Rinku is not there. Seniors who have got into that position, they don't want to quit. They want to continue because that's the only prominent way to tell the world you're alive and speaking Otherwise, who watches one big cricket? Who watch? Who watch a Test cricket? But you tell me, Sir. I mean this is an amazing journey Indian team undertakes every time we play a tournament. It's actually flawless. See Nandil, if you look at the performance, even current performance, as you know, I'm not a great cricketer or you know, I'm not the authority to to talk about the cricketing skills. But all of us follow the game pretty well. And we also look at it from administrative point of view. See if you look at the way in which our team is playing, it is definitely a champion team. It's only a matter of that bit of luck that you need to remove the distance between champions and runners or something like that. Secondly, what is more impressive is that this unending batting lineup, like 12345678, all of them are batsmen. I mean, somebody will be, you know, it is like that, that some, sometimes the opponents will feel, oh, so I have taken these four batsmen. There are eight more, there are four more. So this is one very good thing that this team has got a very, very deep batting lineup. And what is most remarkable is that it's it's OK that one person scores a century or two of them score 80 and then we reach 200. But when everybody is contributing 303540303540 and we go close to 200, that is the beauty. That is truly a teamwork, I would say, both in bowling as well as in batting. And this looks to be the best description of this team, that it's truly a team that is playing. All are together. Look at the brotherly relationship between them. Look at the friendship that you can see even from the box, the way in which they're interacting with each other, the type of comfort that they have. Juniors, seniors, all of them are talking from different regions, different languages. This is the beauty of our culture and it is really impressive and very, very heartwarming. Absolutely. And and won't forget those scenes where you can put your hand on on your coach's shoulder and a coach of Rahul Ravid stature, which is which is amazing. Shows how closely knit this team is, how they're sort of soaking in each other's success and field and and, and our drawback has been over the years. Avinash is, is being that we we never performed as as officer, he's saying we never performed. Everyone doesn't contribute in big matches probably and we do well. We do so well, everyone contributes. And then the knockout matches, only 2-3 performers are there. I've seen, I mean, it's not individual. You can blame whatever has happened in last 11 years. Your thoughts are how this team is going to be shaping up. You think this is, I mean, especially we'll talk about this special character, Hardik Pandya, we'll come to that. But as a team, are you as a journalist, are you getting that confidence that yes, they have it in them to go all the way, but definitely they have it in them. They've been showing it for glimpses in the last two matches against Pakistan or the US side. We saw the bowlers are doing the bulk of the job but now that the batters are also joining, coming to the party and understand is there roll out they should be approaching. The intent was pretty clear last night against. We saw the way Rohit played the first ball, he was not looking to just settle down and then take charge and go on the offensive. And that is the Rohit Sharma we all want to see because just go 6-7 months back in the 8 months back in the in the ODI World Cup, what Rohit was doing was phenomenal, was giving a perfect start to the Indian team and in the power plays he was taking on the bowlers. He was not bowler on his reputation. He he was building his own and that aggressive intent was there to see for everyone and and that is how Team India progressed into the finals and they they were in the game. As long as Rohit was there, the way he was batting, that approach has to be there and we saw that approach, that intent lacking in the first few games. Yes, the pitch was slightly different but more than the pitch, it's something on the mental side of the Indian team which was lacking. They were not mentally prepared to take on the opposition. But here I think they have understood the fact at the business end of the tournament and it is time for us to go all out. Coal fire cylinders should be fired because if there is any chint in the armor, the ocean look to exploit us. The way they combined both Rohit and Kohli, they just combined and started acting with Bangladeshi bowlers, they with spinners and it was quite on the headlines because they were thinking that OK, we'll get their wickets using our friends spinners and then we'll run through their middle order. Although we've heard the commentators and experts saying that very negative call from the Bangladeshi team to just the bowl for was a pitch where you can score runs and then put under the pump, which they did. And India being India, they already knew that the bowling has always been their strength so far in the tournament. It is batting which has to click and eventually it mentioned it was hardly to see everybody contributing to the 'cause there was not just one individual player who was performing like we have seen in the past. If you talk about 2022 World Cup, 2016 World Cup was all one man or two man show which doesn't look like the way I mean this year. Absolutely. And and couple of players like Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya start with Rishab Panth. I mean we had a discussion on yesterday in detail, but I'm start with Hardik Pandya officer. You know, this man was who this man was crushed. He was insulted. He was I mean the fact that biggest thing happened in his life. He got the captaincy of one of the biggest, most popular, probably most popular franchise in IPL, Mumbai Indians. Instead of celebrating and enjoying his game, he had to face so much of music and which was very discordant and it was not a soothing thing for him. It happened and something happens to him. People are. I mean, I, I wrote about it and Avinash can vouch for it. That moment that he played that practice game against Bangladesh where he scored 40 odd runs to couple of wickets if I'm not mistaken. He was right on on on the money. And I think something happens to him after he sees the national flag. Really truly a champion. And the fact that Rohit Sharma was trying to sort of push him out of vice captain CMX, Surya Kumar, vice captain of the team and selection happened thanks to the guys who backed Hardik. They would be really laughing sitting back on a Sunday and seeing the way people are writing good stuff about him. And this is this is what it is. You know, you can't have knee jerk reaction probably you need to learn that, you know, player is never I mean going to underperform deliberately. It's form is temporary, class is permanent. And once you're match winner, once you're proven player, you're always a proven player. Yeah, in the Neil, let me tell you that. Let's keep all the, you know, guess guesses or rumors aside, who wanted to happen what, etc. Those who want to study psychology, this is a classic case study for them. See the way in which he was. He was, you know, literally people used to bow him. People used to hate him. They used to shout at him. He kept his school. He was not performing. His team was not performing in IPL but still barring few incidences he was very cool. Then he came here. Now also he's cool. A player with this much of caliber is bound to perform. He has started performing, is performing really well for the team and he has given an answer through his performance. This is what I think. Many other players who are seen fighting on the street today in the World Cup also, we have seen one incidence, all of them. This is going to be a classic case study for those who want to study psychology that how somebody can keep his composure. There will be good times, there will be bad times, there will be sometimes when people will shout at you, they will say that Isko Hakal, those who remove Gurdo and all that from there just maintaining his composure. And also equal credit goes to the selection committee that they have shown confidence and I've also appointed him as the vice captain telling them what is going to be the hierarchy of the Indian team. So I think we have got an example of a Pakistani player entering into a street fight and we don't know the details of it. But as against this, the way in which this man has kept his school and this is not the first incidents, I would say through his career there will be three major first time. When I have seen it from a close quarter is when he and K Rahul were suspended for two years for their interview on a television show. So still he kept quiet. He has come back then major injuries, surgeries, he kept quiet, he got rehab done, came back with flying killers. Now this third change of IPL franchise captainship and dislayed by the fans, he kept quiet and now he has come back. So I think this is the journey for a player and this is what we can take it as a case study for the budding cricketers to understand. There can be a situation where you don't get what you want. There can be a situation where you really commit a mistake but still you have to keep quiet and wait for the right opportunity. If you have the merit, that merit will speak. You don't have to speak. Absolutely, I remember seeing him during the Delhi Mumbai match at Phirusha Kotla and he always kept that what what we call him that Hindi word 3030 kavi company on H AE avinash. You know, I mean when you 30, I mean I've within the Sehwag and I often spoke about it. If you're good at work, you better have an attitude. Attitude to do well, not attitude to show off that I'm really special and you have to treat me especially not like that kind of an attitude. It's an attitude of being good at work, like a good student. So Hardik Pandya had that study always. He had that attitude. OK, I'm I'm going to do what I have to do. Only issue over the years has been his fitness is when he plays. India is not playing with 11 players, they're playing with 12 players. I've often said that last World Cup we saw moment he went out, I remember talking to a lot of people, I said India would be out of equation though. So Hardik Pandya adds so much of balance and that's it's showing already. Avinash. Yes, I was at the MCA Stadium in Pune, got injury, had to just walk out of that Bangladesh match and actually was a big big set back for the Indian team because the balance of the Time Team was completely lost. Rightly mentioned, because he's not just a good batter, he's an equally good bowler and a gun fielder as well. Also the added responsibility of being the vice captain of the side whenever I mean, there was always a communication we saw on the field and he's always aggressive. He always keeps the team pumped up, charged up, never lets the morale of the teammates down as long as the match is not lost. And and because of the fact that he's had so much of hardships coming to this stage, he's risen through the it's not just that everything has not been up to him on a silver platter. Had to fight hard for everything that he has got. And right from the start, the grassroot levels and Hardy Pandey has been one of the best examples of just have the faith, keep doing the good work to do, just keep excelling in what good you are at and eventually everything will fall into place. And it's just heartening to see Hardik Pandya leading the way team the way he is. And obviously there were a lot of talks about him in this IPL season, but every single person who's criticized him seems to have forgotten that he's the same person who led Gujarat Titans to to back-to-back IPL finals, ended up and ended up winning one that trophy and almost had won the other ones the 2nd consecutive title for them had it not been that 2 balls from hit by Ravindra Jadeja. So definitely Hardik Pandya has had a career of ups and downs he's but he's never let his guard down. As far as his cricket is concerned, yes, him Dali, at times we've seen him getting emotional and he was emotionally down. We saw that video from the Mumbai Indians dugout where everybody was away. He was sitting with this former MI teammate Ambati Raidu and Ambati Raidu, some wise words in his brain, in his mind so that he could not be missing even just for the to the Caribbean. And he's showing the flamboyance that we have seen in the Caribbean players. So back in the days, he's not intimidated by the opposition, he's not down, He never feels low on confidence and his attitude has always been to just perform an answer with his with the bat and ball, not with words. So true. I mean, and we're showing and showing other ways played so far in the tournament. And when you play, what you do for India is going to be really taking into consideration. And look at the way Rishabh Pant is also batting all the day he dropped. I can call it a sitter of Boomer last evening, but that's part of the game. But it didn't hurt India that much because India really on A roll. Rishabh Pant, the emergence of Rishabh Pant, the only cricketer was going to be going all the way. We've spoken at length about him. But Sir, I want to know your reaction to Rishabh Pant, the way he's come back, ever dramatic comeback. He's we've seen from a man, we've seen him before also Yuvraj Singh, the way he bought this disease and came back strong. And here we are the same to get a young, young at heart, young, very young actually is 24 coming and making such great impression. And the intent is showing. Every match is looking better and better. I mean, your thoughts are on Rishabh Pant? Yes, yes. Indranil. If the Pandya case was case study #1 then this is going to be case study 1A because because look at the plight that look at the place where he was not, not more than 18 months ago, a serious accident. Nobody thought that he will survive. Nobody thought that he's going to come back on the ground. From there, he underwent lot many surgeries. Then he got back to fitness. Nobody thought that he will be match fit. He still did that. Nobody expected him to play for the IPL. This IPL he played, he showed his class. He has been as good as he was in the past, in fact better than what he was in the past. So for those youngsters or those kids who are looking at cricketers, I think rather than how they dress, how they cut their hair, they should look at this, that photo fighting spirit he has got. And one more .1 more point that I wanted to tell you. Sorry, don't get disturbed with the air point Indranil. It was a very general comment. So, So what I was trying to suggest is look at his spirit. Let there be any situation. There will be 3 down, four down, one down, whatever it is, he will keep his game as it is. He will not get bogged down and this is what we have seen in entire batting lineup yesterday because though the wickets were falling, the runs were coming and the run rate was never on decline. So this is new India, this is the example. Avinash, I, I want to know from you, this man called Jasprit Bumrah, he's amazingly consistent. I mean, one, one or two matches we've seen bowlers going for runs. He's just getting, I mean, best we've seen a Boomer in recent times. Your thoughts? I think Caribbean brings something something unique from Boomer. I remember the last time when the first time he toured, he had a tactic in Test match. Everybody was going Gaga the way he was bowling. And I'm getting wrapped up in a course of three days or two days on an occasion. And yes, Jasprit Bumrah seems to just savor and relish the the Caribbean air and the venues. So whatever venue he goes. And now that he's also added the, I mean, he was equally this demolishing against on the US main soil. So definitely we are seeing the best version of Bumrah in T20 eyes. I mean, there was a little blip that at a time he was not getting those. And he has always been his economical best. But fact that he's also getting wickets and also I think rather somewhere the hunger to look coveted and elusive ICC trophy like we were talking yesterday as well. I was, as I mentioned, it's been more than eight years and see his entry into international cricket and he's been doing that in the jersey for the last six years, eight years. But he, like others, hasn't been able to win a trophy, the International Trophy or the ICC Trophy. You've talked about there was the ICC Champions Trophy in the 27th that we lost, the 2016 T World Cup where he was a rookie bowler and next fact in that the tournament and was bowling well as well in 2016 at home. And then we saw what happened in 2019-2020, 122 and 20. There were disappointments. But this time he seems to be he's taken it personal and he's ensuring that the last gasp effort that India always tends to just taper off their form. It shouldn't happen and I was literally disappointed that he he just got hit for a boundary on the last ball of his spell. Had it not been, he would again have conceded less than 10 once again in a match. Absolutely. Magical spell is delivery. If you can complete your thought about Mr. You're talking about Rishabh Pant, right? I mean, the way he started off. No, no, I had, I had, yeah, thank you. In the middle there was some disconnection, but I had already almost completed. And I again want to say that I, I look at it from the character point of view that look at these characters, how strong they are, what is their determination? We only see the flamboyance. We only see the glamour, we only see the money involved. But it is not that. What you really need to see is the way in which they come back, the way in which they fight. See, it's not an easy job to, you know, work that hard and come back when the competition is so intense. So I think that from that perspective, I think you were coming to the third example also. I would definitely rate Panth as one of the outstanding examples that we have seen that after such a serious accident, he has come back. It was not a sporting injury. It was a car accident and he has come back from that. Absolutely. Now I and you know, Avinash before we wrap the show even could leave coming back to form is also a good news. He got three weeks and weeks. It's all that matters for a bullet. I forget we gets your confidence level just goes to, I mean, just climbs so hard. I mean, you're right there. Then award on Kuldeep Yadav, he was not playing regularly and we just got into the mix so quickly. This is amazing. I think credit also should go to the team management for keeping things pretty clear that yes, this is the reason we are not playing you in the US. The pitches are like more pacer friendly. So we are going with an extra pacer the moment we land in the Caribbean where the pitches are going to be on the slower side and with the ton progressing and most of the matches are happening in the daytime. We we believe in you that you are going to be our frontline spinners going forward. So that also speaks volume. And the moment he was brought into the playing eleven, he started delivering. It's very heartening to see and it is because he also has that hunger to prove himself and because he also understands it that that if you have a day when the pitches are more batter friendly or the India will have to weigh more on batters, he's definitely going to lose his spot to an Akshar or an Ravinder Jadeja and he will have to sit on the bench and wait for his opportunity. But the moment but he's been brought into the playing 11, he's not letting those opportunities slip away from his hands and in cashing those opportunities. And that's the best thing about Kuldeep Yado. He he's the UK. I mean, we've seen him crying for on the pitch when he was hit hard during the IPL match for KKR and then eventually he was relieved by the franchise because he was not living up to the expectation. But and here the bond between Rishabh Pant and Kuldeep Yadav also to have worked in Kuldeep Yadav, he has someone behind the stumps. It's not Ms. Dhoni, the almighty ever present everything he understands so minutely. But we've seen Rishabh Pant also taking some something out of Ms. Dhoni's book that he is also maturing to be a fine wicket keeper. He always, he's very choppy. He he's very choppy. He always just tells the wicket keeper or Constanti, he's in conversation, he's in with the bowlers that OK, you need to do that, you need to do this. Let him attack you, let him go for you. He'll definitely throw his wicket away. So all those things are also in a way happening. Kuldeep Pedo because he has faith that the person behind the wickets is has true faith in him and will back him to the hilt. And something of the same sort, same sort has also been communicated by Rohit Sharma. Yesterday we saw what Rohit Sharma was doing the the stump, Mike Carter, Rohit Sharma speaking to just let the battle play. I mean, just don't be attacking. I mean just lay out your plan the way you have tricked the other batter who just walked away. Let him also go for those drives or those expansive shots and he will also give his gift, his wicket to you. So that also in a way tells that the captain is also showing a lot of faith in the bowler and that is one of the big reasons for Kuldeep Yadav doing the way he's doing. Absolutely Well, very well said, I have to say. But after Sir you closing comments, you can hear me. Yeah, yeah. The the closing comments are in continuation with what Vinash has said that if you now want to look at the mindset of Indian team, it is very clear. Like what is making all the fans entertain today. Abhi, abhi aya hai ariya hai aya hai. True. I mean we are really on cloud 9 seeing the way we are playing. It's a great, great effort. Team India is showing in D phase matches into Super. It is on. We'll be facing Australia very soon. Great going and I hope it just stops after that win. Keeping our fingers crossed. Thanks a lot Abhay and Abhinash for me and sharing your thoughts on pitch battle. Thank you. Keep enjoying cricket and be good to yourself. Thanks for watching. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you.