Following India’s dominant victory against Pakistan in the ICC World Cup 2023, former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir made an intriguing statement about the prospect of India playing a bilateral series against Pakistan.
Led by skipper Rohit Sharma, the Indian cricket team secured a resounding victory over Pakistan, extending their winning streak to eight matches in World Cup encounters against their arch-rivals. The Indian bowlers displayed remarkable skill, limiting Pakistan to a below-par total of 192 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium. In response, India efficiently chased down the target in just 30.3 overs, losing only three wickets in the process.
Gautam Gambhir reflected on India’s shift from being on the receiving end of similar outcomes to its current dominance over Pakistan. He mentioned, “Hammering along with domination. You use this word very rarely, that too when you are playing against Pakistan. If you see the results, Pakistan used to hammer India like this for a long time. However, for the last many years, India has dominated.”
Gambhir emphasized the significant gap in performance between the two teams and the impact this could have on subcontinental cricket. “This is bad for subcontinental cricket. We always used to say that if we have an India-Pakistan series, it will be competitive. An India-Pakistan series is not going to be competitive at all because there is a massive difference between the two sides,” Gambhir explained.
The former cricketer also lauded Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah for his impressive performance in the World Cup match. Bumrah was instrumental in capturing crucial wickets, including those of Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan, while conceding just 19 runs. Gambhir underscored the luxury of having bowlers like Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav who can consistently deliver wickets. He stated, “If any captain has Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, it is a huge luxury. Out of 50 overs, you get 20 overs from bowlers who can give you wickets anytime. You were comparing Jasprit Bumrah with Shaheen Shah Afridi. Jasprit Bumrah’s first spell was under the 2 PM sun, and he hardly gave any runs in his first four overs.”
The recent World Cup victory reinforced India’s dominance over Pakistan in cricket, sparking discussions about the competitive nature of the once-legendary India-Pakistan clashes.
