‘He Took the Game Away From Us’: Pakistan Head Coach Hesson on Ishan’s Match-Defining Knock

Following Ishan Kishan’s blistering 77 against Pakistan that powered India to their third successive win in the T20 World Cup, the wicketkeeper-batter’s childhood coach Uttam Mazumdar expressed immense satisfaction with his pupil’s performance in a high-pressure game against the arch-rivals.

Ishan’s dream run in T20 cricket continued as he dismantled Pakistan’s spin strategy with authority, smashing his second successive T20 World Cup fifty and steering India to a commanding 61-run win at Colombo on Sunday.

Apart from his batting heroics, he also impressed behind the stumps, including a sharp stumping to dismiss the dangerous Usman Khan, who was attempting to counter-attack against the Indian bowlers.

From Patna, Bihar, Ishan’s parents Pranav and Suchitra also reacted to their son’s performance and India’s victory.

How did Ishan Kishan’s parents react to his knock against Pakistan?

Pranav told ANI, "We are proud that our team India won. We feel really proud of the fact that Ishan got the 'Player of the Match award', but even prouder that India won. He worked very hard in these two years and played domestic cricket consistently, focused on batting. I will talk to him soon."

"Pakistan was trying to put pressure on us, but our strong players did not feel any pressure. We hope this performance continues and India continues to win. The bowling, rotation of bowlers as per the pitch was really good," he further added.

Ishan’s mother also shared her happiness while dismissing any speculation about his marriage, saying, "We are happy that our Team India won. Congratulations to all the players for the victory. We are happy that he performed well. I hope they continue to play like this and keep winning. Shaadi ki charcha koi nahi hai, abhi World Cup chal raha hai. Abhi toh uski shaadi ki umar hui hi nahi hai (there is no talks about his marriage yet, there is a World Cup going on. He is not at an age to be married yet)."

On a challenging surface at the Premadasa Stadium, experts believed that a total of around 150 would have been competitive, yet India comfortably went well beyond that mark, finishing 25 runs above par.

In fact, even 120 might have been sufficient, reminiscent of the New York clash a couple of years ago when India posted 119 and restricted Pakistan to 113.

While the conditions in Colombo and New York differed in character, both were demanding for batters. The defining difference this time, however, was Ishan Kishan.

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson acknowledged the impact of the innings. "I think the way Ishan Kishan played, he took the game away from us. And I think to be fair to India, they probably got about 25 above par on that surface."

His assessment still appeared conservative as India ended up 61 runs clear of Pakistan.

After India slipped to 1 for 1, Ishan provided the much-needed head start and redefined aggression on a pitch where most batters from both sides operated at close to a run-a-ball pace.

He struck at an astonishing rate of 192.50, scoring 77 off just 40 deliveries. The second-highest score in the match was 32 off 29 balls by Suryakumar Yadav, whose career T20I strike rate stands at 164.30, underscoring the exceptional nature of Ishan’s knock.

How did Ishan Kishan overcome tough batting conditions and big boundaries in Colombo?

The pitch seemed significantly harder to bat on when India began their innings compared to when they bowled, and the large ground dimensions, 74 metres on one side, 84 on the other and 72 straight, added to the challenge.

Accustomed to smaller venues back home, Ishan still took on every bowler, fielder and condition with fearless intent.

His opening partner Abhishek Sharma, known for his attacking style, fell for a duck, but that did not deter Ishan’s full-throttle approach.

Tilak Varma, who scored 24 off 25, partnered Ishan in a crucial second-wicket stand worth 87 runs in eight overs.

While Tilak struggled to accelerate, Ishan dominated the Pakistan bowlers with sheer power, frequently clearing even the longer boundaries and showing the audacity to attack despite fielders stationed on the ropes.

Technically, his approach remained simple, marked by a wide, well-rounded, slightly whippy and wristy backlift that allows a natural on-side orientation.

He also used the off-side effectively to force bowlers to adjust their lines. With the ball turning sharply, he created room on the off side and waited for deliveries to come into his hitting arc before dispatching them to the leg side.

Explaining the challenge posed by the opener, Hesson said, "I think he's fearless. He's able to score on both sides of the ground. So he's not just committed to the leg side. We know he's incredibly strong there, but he can reverse. So if you've got spin, especially in the power play, it can be a challenge. But I think the fact that he's in a rare vein of form, applied a lot of pressure to our spinners and probably took them away from the basics."

With Ishan at the crease, India surged from 1 for 1 to 88 for 1 by the ninth over, maintaining a scoring rate of around 10 per over and threatening to reach 200.

His dismissal briefly stalled the innings as India managed just 51 runs across the next eight overs before accelerating towards the end.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav lauded the innings, stating, "I think Ishan thought something out of the box. After 0 for 1, there had to be someone taking responsibility in the powerplay and the way he took that responsibility, I think it was amazing. I think we were very ahead in the powerplay."

Reflecting on his approach, Ishan said, "The wicket was not that easy in the beginning, but sometimes you just have to believe what you want to play, what shots are on, and you have to just focus on your strength. So I was just keeping it simple and watching the ball and playing with the field, maybe trying to make them run as much as they can, but yeah, I think it worked pretty well on my side."

Ishan’s resurgence on the national stage has been remarkable. Once a regular in the Indian side and a player who had even registered a double hundred in an away ODI, he found himself out of the setup for 26 months after recusing himself from a tour and missing a few domestic matches.

Asked to return to domestic cricket, he went back to Jharkhand, led the state in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and amassed 517 runs in the tournament, laying the foundation for his re-emergence in international cricket.

(With inputs from ANI)