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    Kohli brings back the nightmare of Mohali

    Review of World Cup 2015 Cricket Match between Pakistan and India at Adelaide Oval

    Written by: Mirza Salam Ahmed
    Posted on: February 16, 2015 |

    Another standout performance by Pakistani skipper Misbah-ul-Haq

    Attempting to break the curse of losing to India in successive World Cups, the Pakistani side suffered a heart-breaking defeat before a sea of blue shirts that had flooded the Adelaide Oval stadium on Sunday.

    Standing by my prediction, Pakistan was all set to carve its name in the history books; so what went wrong? India was clearly wary of making mistakes from the start. Their three top-order batsmen, Sharma, Dhawan and Kohli, decided to play it safe and avoid danger, leading India to an impressive 165-2 at the 30-over mark.

    By that time in the innings, Pakistani captain Misbah-ul-Haq had already tested his six bowlers, all of whom lacked the ingenuity and variety to trouble the Indian batsmen. With 5 overs remaining and the scoreboard already showing 273-2, the Pakistani team were expecting a humongous target on the board.

    Review of World Cup 2015 Cricket Match between Pakistan and India at Adelaide Oval

    Sohail Khan was the man of the hour for Pakistan, with figures of 55-5

    However, as the weather changed with the arrival of the clouds, so did the performance of the Shaheens. It was as if the tamed Pakistani bowling attack had finally bared their fangs and claws. Wahab Riaz and Sohail Khan charged in with magnificent line and variety to restrict the Men in Blue to 300-7. Khan was the man of the hour for Pakistan, with figures of 55-5.

    There were many surprises in the Pakistani innings. Several bewildered eyes looked towards the television screen for confirmation when Younis Khan stepped onto the field to open with Ahmed Shehzad. It didn’t take long for Khan to be replaced by another middle-order batsman, Haris Sohail. Shehzad and Sohail had a strong start, but just as they were about to lift off, Indian captain M. S. Dhoni opted to bring more fielders into the inner circle, restricting shot selections.

    It wasn’t long before wickets started falling due to superb fielding from the Indian team. Lone ranger Misbah fought valiantly till the end, but the skipper received little support from his comrades. Umar Akmal’s dubious caught-behind decision from the third umpire was the final nail in the coffin for Pakistan, before it stumbled to a measly 224 in 47 overs.

    The match was almost a replay of Mohali 2011. Changing the batting line-up at the 11th hour left the team unsettled once again. The most disastrous decision was to drop specialized wicket keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, and bring in an extra batsman in the form of Younis Khan, leaving Umar Akmal behind the stumps. Kohli scored a century and became Man of the Match, thanks to a dropped catch by Akmal at a crucial moment in the game.

    Review of World Cup 2015 Cricket Match between Pakistan and India at Adelaide Oval

    Mohammed Shami is congratulated upon removing Younis Khan

    India has only given a teaser of the strength in their batting side, which will be the key to their success in this tournament. On the other hand, Pakistan needs to stand back up, brush off the dust, and stop further experimentation during the World Cup!


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    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021