4 reasons why the India-Pakistan rivalry has been one-sided in World Cup history

The most anticipated India-Pakistan rivalry was on show during the World Cup 2019 but proved to be a damp affair as India romped home with an 89-run victory in a lop-sided affair.

With this massive win, India held on to their unbeaten run against Pakistan in World Cup encounters while Pakistan were left lamenting on their shortcomings yet again. The gulf between these two great cricketing nation is continuously getting wider and wider and the competition is no way near what is expected.

Sadly, the reality is that cricket needs better than these boring one-sided outcomes between these two Asian powerhouses. It is also unfortunate to note that while the hype surrounding the India-Pakistan clashes never dies down, the one-sided contests only kill the excitement a fair bit.

With Pakistan yet to figure out a winning algorithm against India, here are four reasons why India is continuously getting better of Pakistan in the World Cup encounters.

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#4 Fitness Level and fielding efforts

Jadeja diving to take a catch against Australia

The Indian Cricket team is one of the fittest teams in the world. The amount of emphasis Virat Kohli puts on fitness level is immense that rubs off on his teammates. He leads by example to the other Indian players and ensures that each player gives his 100% on the field.

Most of the Indian players can outrun their Pakistani compatriots, they are a better fielding unit and their intensity level, on most occasions does not fizzle out, irrespective of the result of the match.

If there is one thing Indian skipper puts most emphasis on, then it is intent. And all the process of maintaining that intent begins from maintaining the fitness level.

The occasion of big games can get into the nerves of even the best of players due to which they may not be able to give their best. However, more often than not, Indian players don't let the spark get out of their game.

Examples of Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan missing run-out chances, the veterans in the Pakistan team misfielding in the inner ring cost Pakistan some extra runs. On the other hand, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli have thrown themselves around and stopped some vital runs.

If Pakistan are to improve their game, then the first step will be the ensure that they improve their fielding efforts.

#3 Mental Pressure

India v Pakistan - 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

It is a reality now that Pakistani players are under drastic pressure to beat India, every time they face them on the cricket field. One of the major reasons for the mental pressure is the fact that Pakistan players are always under the pump, needing to overcome India.

While it is not their fault, it is something which the generations in Pakistan have failed to get better of. Even in the pre-match press conference, Virat Kohli was putting more focus on performing well and treating it just like any other game. On the other hand, Mickey Arthur was expressing how Pakistan players can become heroes tomorrow, how they can be remembered for lifetimes.

These are massive words which results in added pressure and ceases the players to put in their all. However, it is natural to have such perspectives because if the scenario would have been the exact opposite, then India would have fared exactly the same.

Yet, it is not the way ahead, the pressure is getting the better of Pakistani players every time they step on the field and that is a major hindrance in the process of bringing out their natural free-flowing game.

#2 Indian Bowling

Pakistan v India - 2011 ICC World Cup Semi-Final

The India-Pakistan match build-up is based on India's batting V Pakistan's bowling. While the batsmen have earned a lot of credit, it is the bowlers who silently perform their jobs effectively. Over the years, India's bowling has always stood up and performed well against Pakistan in World Cups.

Bowlers like Venkatesh Prasad, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan have led the way with mighty impressive performances in the previous encounters.

The bowlers have been exceptional every time, be it defending a mediocre 260 on a flat Mohali wicket, a below-par 227 on Manchester wicket or restricting them under 280 on a beautiful Centurion wicket.

Even when the batsman put up big scores on the board, the bowlers make sure the victory is not tense but rather commanding. It is safe to say that, finally, India has reached a point where they can proudly say that the Indian bowling attack is more incisive than Pakistan's in World Cup encounters.

#1 India's well thought-out domestic structure

U-19 World Cup winners 2018

The U-19 and A-team structure in India is probably the best in the world. The coaching staff, training facilities, infrastructure, administration, management in India is a lot better than the Pakistan system. During the Ind v Pak match, Wasim Akram was heard saying how the domestic structure in Pakistan is being destroyed due to some internal issues.

With the basic foundation out of place, there is no doubt that the international scenario is in tatters. The players coming up in India are taken proper care of, they are given adequate exposure to different competitions. The PSL is no competition to the IPL, while the domestic competitions cannot be drawn level either.

Pakistan possesses some highly talented and skilful players but their quality level is slightly behind India and their performance in World cricket over the years is a proper proof of that. They are placed at 6th position in the ICC ODI rankings and barring a few victories, they have been rather disappointing.