A Painful Defeat in Japan
Pakistan batter Hasan Nawaz said on Wednesday that the pain of losing the Asian Games gold medal match against India still haunts him, and he lamented the small mistakes that cost his team the final in Japan. India beat Pakistan by 19 runs to win the gold in the men's cricket competition last week. Nawaz, who scored 96 in the title clash, described himself as still disappointed and hurt at not being able to win the final, and said the team paid the price for those errors.[S1][S2][S3][S4]
Reflecting on the Chase
Nawaz said playing against India, the No. 1 side, was always a challenge. He expressed satisfaction with his own runs but said losing the final was disappointing because he truly believed Pakistan could win. He explained that he was batting according to calculation and knew India were one bowler short at the end, with just one over from Bumrah remaining. However, he felt the team made mistakes in the run chase and lost.[S1]
Learning from Mistakes
Nawaz said he was delighted to make a comeback after being sidelined for most of last year, and that scoring a good innings against India was very satisfying on a personal level. He asserted that Pakistani players have always tried to give their best against India. He added that the final is over now and cricket and matches will continue, and that while mistakes will happen, to beat India they must learn from those mistakes and become better.[S1]
Looking Ahead
The youngster, who entered international cricket with a T20I century in New Zealand in 2024, said he has been working on his game by playing a lot of grassroots-level cricket. He explained that the bowlers and pitches in those matches help a player improve in difficult conditions, and that batting in better conditions in international cricket boosts confidence. Nawaz said he never thought too far ahead and now just wants to continue his run of form against Sri Lanka and England in the home white-ball series, sticking to his plan despite inevitable ups and downs.[S1]
