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Pakistan Captain Salman Ali Agha on Sunday reflected on his side’s all-round failure after a heavy defeat to arch-rivals India in their much-anticipated T20 World Cup clash in Colombo. Defending champions India produced a commanding performance to register a 61-run victory over Pakistan and move to the top of the group standings. A blistering knock from opener Ishan Kishan powered India to 175-7, despite the early loss of attacking opener Abhishek Sharma in the first over. Pakistan never recovered from early setbacks, losing four wickets inside the powerplay before being bowled out for 114. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Agha said Pakistan’s bowlers failed to deliver despite the team’s trust in its spin attack. “We were believing in our spinners, but they had an off day today. Execution was missing in some parts of the game, but obviously we are going to continue believing in our spinners. They have done really well in the last six months,” he said. He also pointed to Pakistan’s faltering start with the bat. “We didn’t start well, and in T20 games, if you lose three or four wickets early, you’re always chasing the game,” he added. Agha defended the decision to bowl first, citing early conditions. “In the first innings, it was a bit tacky, and the ball was gripping as well. I think the execution was missing when it came to bowling, but the pitch played better in the second innings than the first,” he said. He further stated that Pakistan failed to adapt in both departments. “We didn’t bowl according to the situation, and when it came to batting, we didn’t apply ourselves and gave ourselves a chance to go deep into the game,” he said. Read: T20 World Cup: India bowl out Pakistan to seal 61-run victory Commenting on the magnitude of the fixture, Agha said emotions are always high in such matches and need to be managed. “We have played enough cricket and experienced enough games like this,” he said. Looking ahead, Agha stressed the need for a quick turnaround, saying the team must regroup swiftly and focus on the next match. “You have to see the bigger picture. We have a game in two days, we need to win that game and qualify for the Super Eight. Then it’s a new tournament, and we start again,” he said. India Captain Suryakumar Yadav praised his team’s performance, particularly Kishan’s contribution at the top. “He played out of the box and put the team ahead in the powerplay,” Yadav said. “We played the same brand of cricket we intended. Batting first was a better option on this wicket, and the way Ishan batted — both in the last few games and in the domestic circuit — he took the team ahead.” He highlighted Kishan’s responsibility after the early loss. “After 0-1, there had to be someone taking responsibility in the powerplay, and the way he did it was amazing. This put the team very far ahead in the powerplay,” he said. Reflecting on India’s middle-overs slowdown following the dismissals of Tilak Verma, Hardik Pandya and Kishan, Yadav described it as “the beauty of the powerplay” and praised young batters including Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube. “Though we never set a target, once we reached 175, it felt like 15 to 20 runs above par. I think 155 would have been a very tight game,” he said. He also commended the bowling unit for maintaining pressure throughout the innings. “It was great to see everyone contributing,” he added. Kishan, who was named player of the match, said the fixture carried special significance. “India vs Pakistan is always a special game, not only for us but also for our country,” he said. He added that the victory would give the team confidence going forward in the tournament, and they would aim to maintain the momentum.