Suspicious or just strange? Parthiv Patel baffled by Pakistan U19's tactics vs India

U19 World Cup: Parthiv Patel said that he was surprised with Pakistan's approach and their lack of intent to qualify for the semis when they played in the Super 6 clash against India on Sunday.

Former India batter Parthiv Patel said he was left puzzled by Pakistan’s approach in their U19 World Cup clash against India. On Sunday, February 1, Pakistan slumped to a 58-run defeat at the Queen’s Sports Oval in Bulawayo, crashing out of the tournament and failing to qualify for the semi-finals.

Entering the Super Six encounter with a net run-rate (NRR) disadvantage, Pakistan needed more than just a win to progress. They were required to chase down India’s total of 252 runs within roughly 33.3 overs to overhaul India’s superior NRR and book a semi-final spot.

However, Pakistan showed little intent to accelerate or play big shots during the chase and lost by 58 runs. Patel said he was surprised by the lack of urgency and desire shown by the side in a must-win, high-pressure game.

“I’m just trying to understand one thing here, the way Pakistan approached this game. If India were in the same situation, and if they had approached it in a way where they weren’t even trying to have a shot at making it to the semi-final, then what would have happened?” Patel said on JioHotstar's 'Dil Se India'.

“I don’t think that coaching staff would have been able to coach anywhere else. In Under-19 cricket, the role of the coaches and the support staff is very important.

“You are experienced and hence, have been given a role to guide young players on their cricketing journey. But unfortunately, Pakistan just didn’t look like they wanted to push for that semi-final spot. The lack of desire to win was pretty evident,” Patel added.