The Indian cricket team boasts an imperious record of never losing to their arch-rivals Pakistan at the big stage, i.e., the World Cup. However, during crunch situations, the Pakistan team tends to brain freeze at crucial junctures of the game via run-outs.
The image of Inzamam-ul-Haq going back to the pavilion in the all-important group fixture against India in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, still remains effervescent in the minds of the cricket fanatics.
Also, the likes of Yousuf Youhana, Abdur Razzak and Younis Khan were prone to be dismissed due to miscommunications while running between the wickets.
It seems like even the current crop of youngsters in the Pakistan camp is also prone to the run-out syndrome at the big stage. This time, again, it was the U19 World Cup semi-finals in Potchefstroom, South Africa (again), where two Pakistani batsmen were involved in a run-out.
After a dodgy start to their inning, teenagers Haider Ali and captain Rohail Nazir consolidated with a brilliant partnership before prodigy Yashasvi Jaiswal broke the partnership.
The onus was then on Qasim Akram and the captain to stitch another partnership, giving India a challenging total. In the 26th over, with the score at 118-3, Akram dabbed the ball in the cover region and set off for a quick single.
His captain at the other end responded instantly but stopped midway and turned back towards the non-striker’s end. Meanwhile, Akram was already half-way down the pitch and decided to take the run anyway.
What eventually transpired was a comical race between the two batsmen to reach the crease at the bowler’s end. Atharva Ankolekar, placed at covers, was quick to latch on to the ball and throw towards wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel.
As the captain, Nazir, beat Akram in the race for survival, the latter had to go back to the pavilion. Pakistan ended up with a dismal score of 172, with the captain top-scoring with a gritty knock of 62.
— venu_gopal_rao_fans (@CricketVideos16) February 4, 2020
