Indian blind cricket team lose to Pakistan in tri-nation final

Ajay

Four-time world champions India ended up runners-up in the blind tri-nation T20 tournament in Bangladesh on Sunday. In a one-sided final, India suffered a 62-run loss to Pakistan in Dhaka. It was the Indian team's first defeat to arch-rivals Pakistan in a final. In the league stage, India thrashed Bangladesh by eight wickets, but lost to Pakistan by 58 runs.

The final was scheduled for April 8, but due to the nationwide lockdown announced from Monday in Bangladesh, the officials decided to shorten the tournament keeping in mind the safety of the players. In a 15-over final, Pakistan posted 174-3, while India managed 112-7. Sunil Ramesh top-scored for India with 39 (5x4). For Pakistan, Nisar Ali and Zafar Iqbal scored 69 and 48 respectively, while medium pacer Sajid Nawaz claimed 2-28.

"It was disappointing to lose two consecutive games to Pakistan. It is an eye-opener. We will analyse our mistakes prior to next year's T20 World Cup," Indian captain Ajaykumar Reddy told mid-day from Dhaka. "Cricket is a team game and every player should contribute. I took two wickets in three overs, but did not receive adequate support from the other end. We gave away 30 extra runs which included 19 wides. Our batting also succumbed to pressure," he added.