"We were a little bit timid tonight" - Mickey Arthur on Pakistan's seven-wicket defeat to India in 2023 World Cup clash

Pakistan cricket team's director Mickey Arthur highlighted the 'timid' batting performance behind the seven-wicket loss against India in the 2023 World Cup clash on Saturday (October 14) in Ahmedabad. The former head coach criticized the stunning batting collapse that set the hosts only 192 to win.

Pakistan, sent into bat first, had a decent start and were on track to a considerable total at 155-2. However, they lost their final 8 wickets for only 36 more runs as captain Babar Azam was the only Pakistan batter to manage a half-century. In reply, India chased down the total with 117 balls to spare as Rohit Sharma blazed away to 86 off 63 deliveries.

Speaking at a post-match press conference, Mickey Arthur felt Pakistan batters went into their shells, but hailed India's overall bowling performance.

"Yeah, I just think we were a little bit timid tonight with our overall performance. I would have liked us to really take the game on just a little bit more. It's a massive occasion, as we know, but I think we just went into our shells just a little bit," he said.

"And to go from 155 for two, if it was, to 190-odd all out is just not on. Yeah, credit to India, I thought they bowled really well, but I just thought our performance was just a little bit timid," he added.

The visitors only had one solid partnership in the innings, as Babar and Mohammad Rizwan added 82. The former's wicket at 50 was the turning point of Pakistan's innings as India ran through their line-up.

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"There's no need for panic" - Mickey Arthur

Mickey Arthur. (Image Credits: Twitter)

At the same time, Mickey Arthur stressed that Pakistan have won two games out of three and vowed to approach the remaining games calmly.

The 55-year-old said:

"This Indian squad is exceptional in cricket. Rahul and Rohit effectively operate the squad. They appear robust and have addressed all aspects of the game."

"This World Cup is a lengthy journey; we've secured victories in two out of three matches. There's no need for panic; we'll approach the upcoming match with composure," he added.

The 1992 World Champions will next face Australia on October 20 in Bangalore.