Kishan took the game away from us: Pakistan coach Hesson

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said it was Ishan Kishan’s counter-attacking knock, rather than a top-order collapse, that proved to be the difference between the two sides in its 61-run submission to India in Colombo.

Hesson said that his bowlers felt the pressure against the opener and ended up conceding 25 runs more than the par-score for the conditions. “The ball was spinning quite a lot initially. The way Kishan played took the game away from us. He’s fearless and can score on both sides of the ground, which makes it a challenge for spinners in the PowerPlay. He forced them away from the basics,” the Kiwi said.

“From a batting point of view, we did not give ourselves a chance to get adjusted to the conditions. They bowled nicely up front with the seam, and we took a few poor options,” he said.

Hesson rebuked the idea that the pressure of the contest is what causes his team to underperform. “I know it’s a huge event — Pakistan against India. But we have played some good cricket, winning five games on the bounce. We are really disappointed we didn’t play as well as we could,” he said.

Indian vice-captain Axar Patel also lavished praise on Kishan, calling it one of his best knocks in international cricket. “The way he batted, it wasn’t easy because the ball was spinning. He has carried forward his form from domestic cricket, and when the confidence is high, you don’t think much about yourself or the wicket,” the spinner said.