India vs Pakistan: Game awareness

Let's start writing. It's 9:58 and I am going to write till 10:30 now. I am not super sure what to write but I really liked the game today India vs Pakistan. As it started, India won the toss and elected to bowl first. When we elected to bowl, what happened is Pakistan started really well. At the end of the power play they were I believe some 46-0 and then at the end of 10 overs they were almost 90-1. This did put India in a back foot and then we took a wicket at around 113-2. At this stage Pakistan were looking like they would score around 60 more runs and they would post a target of 180. That would have been a challenging target. But then India came back and then bowled brilliantly or the Pakistani shot selection was poor, idk. But India won the game at the point where we took all the 8 wickets in very less runs. The completed at 146 all out and they didn't even play the whole 20 overs. Clearly, it was the pressure in the minds of Pakistani batters that inorder to win a contest against India, they would have to score around 200. But that was not possible given their middle order is not as strong as India's. Longer the game, more would be the chance that the better team wins. India in all its regards were a better side. Now restricting Pakistan to 146 was half the game done in many Indian fans. However, as the Indian batting started, India were around 7-1 we lost Abhishek sharma very early with a shot that was hit so poorly. Once the shot was hit so poorly, it was very natural to get caught very early on. That's okay. It happens. One player cannot have all days that are good. So it was a bad day for him in my reckoning. 


Then walks in Suryakumar Yadav, who was trying to play really slow and in the very next over, he lost his wicket to Shaheen Shah Afridi. Well, that was really sad. He chipped the ball in the air and the ball went straight to mid off fielder. The catch was taken cleanly by Salman Ali Agha and there we were 10-2. There was pressure at this stage. We didn't really know how well we will go. The next person to depart was Shubham Gill 20-3. There was serious pressure as we lost early 3 wickets. Even at that point, it was looking like India are falling and we might lose the game. However, I as a fan had faith. Monil my friend was saying if we lose 1 wicket here, we will lose the game. But that didn't happen. Sanju Samson played decently well against Tilak Verma and they scored some good runs till Sanju departed for scratchy innings in my opinion. India were around 74-4 now. That was a big wicket. Although, in my opinion he didn't preempt that shot. He already had something in mind in what shot he was going to hit. If he does not hit that shot, it was possible that he would have played well. Now after we lost Samson Dube came in. He played decently well. But not as well as I expected him. He did not run 2s but still did well for getting India at a 6ball 10 run score. Moreover, the star of the run chase was Tilak Verma. He was great when it came to running between the wickets. Rinku also played really well when it am to running. He ran 2 runs the very first ball. So India then needed 8 of 5 balls. Then Tilak Verma came across the line and slapped the ball for a six on the leg side. There weren't a lot of fielders there and I believe Haris Rauf did miss his line and length there, but that shot from Tilak was top notch. That's when we recognize how important Tilak Verma is for the team and how he made sure we win that crucial game. One thing I learnt about Tilak Verma today was patience and stability. He had the confidence that he would win the game if he stays till the end. In fact he was 38 runs of 36 balls. That shows the class of the man. He understood the situation so well and made sure we played singles and doubles. That's what I understood about life. Sometimes we have to take the singles and doubles in order to truly build an important innings or an important chase. We can't score sixes every ball. After all, the moment we score sixes we lose the momentum. So well, that's what we should be doing. Try and take singles and doubles and score of the bad balls. I was observing that Tilak Verma was also hitting fours or sixes of the bad balls. Thats when you realize the class of Tilak. If you have a bad ball, you smash it all over. One concern I have is that I hope that India does not get too arrogant about their game. 

Now what's next ? Singles and doubles in life? Where do we apply this lesson in practical life. When I talk about practical life, taking singles and doubles means that you are studying one lesson a day. Reading 10 pages a day. Not a lot but just 10 pages a day is enough. Sometimes we also need to understand that when you score slowly or when you understand the situation of the team, you would truly know what to do at what stage. So one has to play slowly. We need to understand and assess the situation. If we lose say 3 wickets early on, we got to stablize the innings. If we have a great start, we got to speed up the innings or continue the momentum forward. That's what is important. We know that when you are playing in that sort of flow, you understand the game so well. When you understand the game and the depth of the game, more likely that you win. So go ahead and play one day at a time. Have small victories. It's not about the big wins, but about the small wins. That's when you recognize the potential in you. I also liked that when India needed 1 run to win of 3 balls, Rinku singh cleared the field and hit a shot over the infield that went for a 4. It was a beautiful victory for India. 

To summarize, I learned 3 things: 

1. Patience when things are not going your way. You got to take singles.

2. Hit the bad balls. If your opponent makes a mistake, capitalize on it. 

3. Stay in the game till the end, because patience pays. 

4. Don't talk much, let your work do the talking. 

Here are some exercises that I give you as a readers to become better at patience. It's okay, we are all impatient at times. But here are a few exercises that you can do to increase patience. 

🕰️ 1. The “Singles & Doubles” Practice

What to do:
Set a small, consistent goal for each day, like reading 10 pages, doing 15 pushups, writing 200 words, or studying one topic.

Why it works:
It teaches you that steady progress builds real momentum. You don’t need a breakthrough every day. You just need contact with the ball.

“You can’t score 100 runs in one ball, but you can in 100 balls.”

🧠 2. Mindful Waiting

What to do:
Pick one daily moment where you normally get impatient, maybe waiting for a video to buffer, food to heat, or someone to reply, and use that time to take 3 slow breaths. Observe your surroundings. Be present.

Why it works:
It rewires your brain to accept delays without frustration, just like a batter waiting for the right ball.

“In cricket and life, not every delivery is worth playing.”

📝 3. “Pause Before You React” Journal

What to do:
At the end of the day, write down one moment where you were about to react impulsively, but chose to pause. Even if you didn’t pause, just being aware is the first step.

Why it works:
It builds emotional patience. Not every tough moment requires a shot. Sometimes the best play is no play at all.

⏳ 4. The 2-Minute Rule for Boredom

What to do:
Next time you feel bored or distracted (e.g., while studying or reading), don’t quit right away. Set a timer and commit to staying with it for just 2 more minutes.

Why it works:
This helps train your endurance. Sometimes, breakthroughs come right after boredom peaks, just like a bowler finds rhythm in the 3rd or 4th over.

🧩 5. Reflect on "Bad Balls"

What to do:
Once a week, reflect:

  • What were the “bad balls” this week (easy opportunities)?

  • Did I capitalize on them?

  • If not, why?

Why it works:
You build awareness of how life constantly offers moments you can make the most of, but only if you’re present and patient enough to see them.

“Tilak didn’t try to hit everything, he waited for the bad balls.”

🎯 Final Thought:

Patience doesn’t mean you’re slow.
It means you’re in control.
It means you trust the process.
It means you know that your time will come, and when it does, you’ll be ready to strike.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Man ka hua toh accha hai, aur agar man ka na ho toh aur bhi accha hai

Image
I was sitting in an airplane when an old lady next to me said,  "Man ka hua toh accha hai, aur agar man ka na ho toh aur bhi accha hai":  If things go as we desire, it's good; if they don’t, it’s even better. This philosophy by Harivansh Rai Bachchan carries profound wisdom. It teaches us that life is not just about getting what we want, but about trusting the journey, even when things don’t unfold as we expect. When Things Go Your Way: "Man ka hua toh accha" We often associate happiness with things aligning with our wishes, getting that dream job, being with the person we love, achieving a long-desired goal. And when these things happen, we feel joy, success, and a sense of control. But this is only half the truth. Life is not a straight path, and our desires are often shaped by our limited understanding of what’s truly good for us. What we wish for today may not serve us in the long run. Getting what we want is good, but it’s not the ultimate measure of happin...
Read more

Step into the unknown

Image
 Embrace the unknown. There are so many things in life that we fear. Imagine that you fear a particular project, imagine you risk losing something, imagine you risk the loss of a friend, imagine you risk losing love, all of these are risks. But the point is we want to embrace the unknown. What is to life, if we never explore the unknown, if we never know about someone. I feel like it's important to embrace the unknown. It's important to go through the darkest of times together and then come out stronger. It's important to be yourself.  The more you go with the flow of life and surrender the outcome to God, and the less you seek constant clarity, the more you will find that fabulous things start to show up in your life. I love this, so going with the flow of life, and surrendering yourself to the outcome. That is what makes life interesting. Imagine going on a solo trip, you don't really know whom you will meet or how you will stay but with the flow of life you eventuall...
Read more

There's light at the end of the tunnel

I have always loved the idea that every story, whether in books, movies, or real life, is a journey—one filled with moments of difficulty, sadness, hardships, and battles that must be fought. But what truly makes a story special is not just the struggles it portrays, but the way it turns them into something meaningful, something that inspires. Think about your favorite films—the ones that leave a lasting impact. No matter how dark the night, no matter how lost the hero feels, in the end, things fall into place. The obstacles that seemed insurmountable become lessons. The heartbreaks become stepping stones. The failures become the very reason for success. And when the movie ends on a hopeful note, the audience walks out of the theater with a renewed belief in life, in second chances, and in the idea that no matter how tough things get, there’s always hope. That’s exactly what I want to contribute through this blog. A sense of belief that life, like the best Hindi films, has its fair sha...
Read more