Hey guys, so I was scrolling through Twitter – oops, I mean X, gotta get used to that – and I saw this tweet by Ravichandran Ashwin about Pakistan's batting in the Champions Trophy 2025. It's kinda interesting, especially since everyone's been talking about how slow Pakistan's been, so I thought I'd share it with you all.
So, Pakistan's been getting a lot of hate for their slow batting, especially in the match against India in Dubai. Like, people are saying they're just not good enough or whatever. But Ashwin jumped in to defend them, saying it's not totally their fault. He blames the "tired pitches" in Dubai. What does that even mean? I guess the pitches are worn out or something, making it super hard to score runs fast.
Ashwin's Defense
Alright, so here's what Ashwin tweeted:
"Tired pitches in Dubai, don’t confuse Pakistan’s previous batting innings to this one. Wasn’t the easiest of chases in the last game here."
Basically, he's saying the pitch in Dubai is kinda dead, and it's not helping the batters at all. He even brought up how India struggled in their last match at the same venue. They took 46.3 overs to chase down 229 against Bangladesh, which is pretty slow for a T20 match, right? Wait, no, Champions Trophy is ODI, I think. Yeah, it's ODI. So, taking almost 47 overs to chase 229 is still slow, but maybe the pitch was tough.
Pakistan's Batting Struggles
Pakistan's been having issues with slow starts in the PowerPlay overs throughout the tournament. Like, against New Zealand in Karachi, they had their lowest-ever PowerPlay score in Pakistan – just 22/2 in 10 overs. That's really bad. And now, against India, they were slow again. It's like they can't get going early on, and everyone's been roasting them for it.
Current Match Update
But, in the current match against India, after 31 overs, Pakistan's at 137/2, with Saud Shakeel on 50 and Mohammad Rizwan on 41. So, they're not doing too bad now, I guess. Maybe they're finally finding their rhythm? Or maybe the pitch is still holding them back, like Ashwin said.
Conclusion
So, Ashwin's point is that we shouldn't just blame the batters; the pitch plays a big role too. And from what he's saying, the Dubai pitch isn't helping the batters much. I kinda get his point, but I also think Pakistan needs to step up their game, you know? It's the Champions Trophy, after all.
What do you guys think? Is it the pitch or the players? Or maybe a bit of both? Let me know in the comments!
FAQ
Q: Why did Ashwin defend Pakistan's batting?
A: Ashwin thinks the slow batting isn't just the players' fault but also because of the "tired pitches" in Dubai, which make scoring difficult.
Q: What are "tired pitches"?
A: I think it means pitches that have been used a lot and are worn out, so they're not as good for batting as fresh pitches.
Q: How has Pakistan performed in the PowerPlay overs?
A: Not great. They had a really slow start against New Zealand, scoring only 22/2 in 10 overs, and they were slow against India too.
Quiz
- What was Pakistan's score after 31 overs against India?
a) 120/2
b) 137/2
c) 150/2 - Who was batting for Pakistan at that time?
a) Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman
b) Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan
c) Imam-ul-Haq and Shan Masood - What did Ashwin say about the pitches in Dubai?
a) They are too flat
b) They are tired
c) They are perfect for batting
Answers: 1-b, 2-b, 3-b