New Delhi, Feb 25 Former England captain Michael Atherton has described the intense rivalry between India and Pakistan as "one-sided", following India's win in the Group A match of the Champions Trophy.
The highly-anticipated India-Pakistan clash in the 2025 Champions Trophy turned out to be another lopsided affair, with Rohit Sharma’s men securing a dominant six-wicket win in Dubai to seal their place in the semfinals.
Speaking on the Sky Sports Podcast, Atherton highlighted that despite all the hype surrounding the fixture, the match has not lived up to expectations.
“Well, it was completely one-sided. It looked very predictable from a long way out. An underpowered Pakistan batting line-up, as it was in that first game against New Zealand. There just seemed to lack a bit of energy and dynamism in the batting," Atherton said on Sky Sports Podcast.
“There’s a bit of an issue with 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.
“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," he added.
Beyond Pakistan’s struggles, both Atherton and Nasser Hussain pointed out the undeniable advantage India have in the tournament by playing all their matches in Dubai.
“What about the advantage India have in playing in Dubai, only in Dubai? They don’t have to travel between venues or countries, unlike other teams. They know exactly what conditions they’re playing in, their selection can be tailored for that, and they’ll even know where their semi-final will be," Atherton noted.
Hussain supported this view, saying, “It’s an advantage. The best team in the tournament has that advantage. They’re staying in one place, one hotel, one dressing room. They know the pitch, they have picked for that pitch."
He further credited India for their squad selection, particularly their decision to pack the squad with five spinners, which has worked well in the Dubai conditions.
"Now we see why India picked so many spinners. Other teams, like England and Pakistan, have gone in with just one frontline spinner, and they’re struggling. India knew exactly what they were preparing for," Hussain said.
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