Former England batter Ravi Bopara has weighed in on the India-Pakistan rivalry, saying that while the clash remains cricket’s fiercest contest emotionally, the gap in skill and mindset between the two sides has become too big to ignore.According to Bopara, India no longer see Pakistan as their biggest cricketing threat. Instead, England, Australia, South Africa, and even New Zealand occupy higher positions on their radar.“I don’t think India see Pakistan as a major threat. They might see England as a major threat. They might see Australia or New Zealand or South Africa. Pakistan will be at the bottom of that list,” Bopara said in a podcast “Beard Before Wicket.”
He believes the contrasting conversations in the two dressing rooms sum up the gulf between the sides.“The rivalry will be right at the top of the list, but in terms of cricketing quality, it’s different. I’m pretty sure in India’s dressing room, the talk is something like: ‘Let’s not take them too lightly today, let’s make sure we bury them.’“In Pakistan’s dressing room, it’s probably more like: ‘Hey, one of us has to have a day out today and we’ll win.’”Bopara stressed that Pakistan rely too heavily on individual brilliance rather than a collective plan.“They don’t think they’re going to out-skill India. They just hope that if someone like Fakhar Zaman has a big day, that might be enough. But India’s mindset is completely different,” he added.Despite acknowledging the passion for cricket in Pakistan and the talent emerging through the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Bopara said the national team has been stuck in a prolonged “transition phase.”“It’s been going on for a very long time, actually. A very long time. But PSL has produced good players. I’ve watched guys like Shaheen Shah Afridi since he first came on the scene for Peshawar Zalmi, and they’ve improved a lot. The talent is there, but maybe it’s a discipline issue,” he noted.Bopara underlined that while Pakistan remain Asia’s second-best side, the inability to “get it together” consistently has kept them from challenging India.
About the Author
