Former England captain Michael Atherton said that the rivalry between India and Pakistan has now become “one-sided” as the hype didn’t match the expectations. India on Sunday defeated Pakistan by six wickets in their Group A encounter of the ongoing Champions Trophy in Dubai.
“Well, it was completely one-sided,” Michael Atherton said on Sky Sports Podcast.
“It looked very predictable from a long way out. An underpowered Pakistan batting line-up, as it was in that first game, actually, against New Zealand.
“There just seemed to lack a bit of energy and dynamism in the batting.”
Atherton argued that with all the hyper surrounded around the fixture, the cricket didn’t lived up to its billings.
“There’ a bit of an issue for that contest, isn’t it? Because it’s a highly anticipated contest for all kinds of reasons. Partly, you know, just because of the scarcity value. They only play each other in ICC events on neutral territory for obvious reasons,” he said.
“But there’s such hype around that fixture. You kind of want the cricket to live up to that hype as well. If you look at the results in the last 10 years, I think they’ve played each other nine times in ODIs in the last 10 years.
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“Pakistan have only won once, and that was in that final in the Champions Trophy at the Oval. So, it’s a one-sided contest right now. But, you know, I looked at the numbers.
“Since the start of 2000, actually, Pakistan have been very competitive in ODIs against India. I think they’ve kind of won 26, lost 30, something like that. But in the last 10 years, in those nine games, it’s pretty much all gone India’s way with one exception.”