NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt criticised Babar Azam's team after their 6-run defeat against arch-rivals India, calling it a "tragic loss."
Naseem Shah was the standout player for Pakistan, taking three wickets for 21 runs in his four-over spell during the first innings.
In the run chase, Shah played an unbeaten 10-run knock from four balls, hitting several boundaries in the final over of the second innings. Despite his efforts, Pakistan fell short, losing to India by 6 runs on Sunday.
Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Butt remarked that Pakistan managed to find another way to lose a game out of nowhere.
"Another tragic loss. If we talk about the Pakistan Cricket Team, then I have to say it was a tragic loss, unfortunately. Pakistan have once again found a way out of nowhere to lose a game. It was a simple game, they had wickets in hand but we found a way to create excitement and then lose it," Salman said.
He also praised Rohit Sharma-led India for holding their nerves during the high-voltage match, noting that the Men in Blue were relaxed and did not panic.
Butt pointed out that India could have reached the 150-run mark, as the pitch at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium was not that bad.
"The Indian team held their nerves, there was no panic at all and seemed relaxed. Indian batters lost their wickets and Pakistan also bowled well. India could have reached the 150-run mark since the wicket in New York was not that bad," he added.
Recapping the match, Pakistan won the toss and put India into bat. However, the Indian batters struggled on the tough surface as star openers Virat Kohli (4) and Rohit (13) failed to score big.
Rishabh Pant (42 off 31 balls, with six fours) seemed to be playing on a different pitch and had useful partnerships with Axar Patel (20 off 18 balls, with two fours and a six) and Suryakumar Yadav (seven off eight balls, with a four). Despite their efforts, the lower middle order crumbled under the pressure of scoring runs on such a challenging pitch, and India managed just 119 in 19 overs.
Haris Rauf (3/21) and Naseem Shah (3/21) were the top bowlers for Pakistan, with Mohammed Amir taking two wickets and Shaheen Shah Afridi securing one.
In the run chase, Pakistan adopted a measured approach with Mohammad Rizwan (31 off 44 balls, with a four and six) anchoring the innings.
However, Bumrah (3/14) and Hardik Pandya (2/24) took crucial wickets, including those of skipper Babar Azam (13), Fakhar Zaman (13), Shadab Khan (4), and Iftikhar Ahmed (5), maintaining pressure on Pakistan.
Needing 18 runs in the final over, Naseem Shah (10*) tried to secure a win for Pakistan, but Arshdeep Singh (1/31) ensured that Pakistan fell short by six runs.
Bumrah was awarded the 'Player of the Match' for his match-winning spell.
(With ANI inputs)
