In a highly anticipated match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
The crowd was overwhelmingly in favor of India, with only a small number of Pakistan fans in attendance, largely due to travel restrictions and historical mistrust between the two countries.
Despite Pakistan’s strong start, they collapsed from 155-3 to 191 all out, with India’s bowlers dominating.
Rohit Sharma’s excellent performance with 86 runs led India to an easy victory, reaching Pakistan’s total with 117 balls to spare.
The one-sided nature of the crowd, which was predominantly Indian, was noted by the Pakistan team director but not used as an excuse for the loss.
Mickey Arthur, the Pakistan team director, didn’t want to use this as an excuse for the loss, but nonetheless questioned the one-sided nature of the fan base.“Look, I’d be lying if I said it did [not affect us],” Arthur said when asked about the partisan crowd. “It didn’t seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI event. I didn’t hear Dil Dil Pakistan coming through the microphones too often tonight.
Pakistani fans faced challenges in obtaining visas for the tournament, a situation that contrasts with previous events where the BCCI facilitated visas for traveling Pakistani fans.
Both the Pakistan head coach and team director expressed disappointment about the lack of supporters and the unfamiliar atmosphere in the stadium.
