Pressure vs. Nothing to lose
Jun 03, 2019
In the third ODI of the series on May 14, 2019, Pakistan smashed 358/9 in 50 overs. That's a very respectable score in the modern cricket game. Plus, Pakistan are known for their bowling riches. Surely, such a high score was sufficient for a win.
Nope. England won. It was shocking just how comfortable it was for them. Pakistan could have built a mountain of 400 epic runs and they would have still lost. England's batting firepower is immense. They bitch-slapped Pakistan repeatedly and won the series 4-0. The last game was played on May 19.
And then the World Cup started. Today, it was England vs. Pakistan. England is ranked number one in the universe. Pakistan had lost eleven consecutive matches. Their worst losing streak in history.
Pakistan scored 348/8 in 50 overs. No team has ever successfully chased over 300 runs in the World Cup. Root and Buttler scored fantastic centuries but it just wasn't enough from England. In fact, they became the first team to lose a World Cup match with centuries from two players. The entire bowling unit of Pakistan showed up. Amir now has five wickets from two matches. Riaz took three today. If they keep firing, then Pakistan will be responsible for a few more upsets. At least, the World Cup has become a lot more exciting.
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