How Ishan's Head Start Defined the Match

Experts considered 150 a winning total at the Premadasa, but India finished 25 runs above that mark. In reality, even 120 might have sufficed, reminiscent of New York where India defended 119 against Pakistan. While conditions in Colombo and New York were equally demanding, the defining difference was Ishan Kishan.

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson acknowledged this: "I think the way Ishan Kishan played, he took the game away from us. And I think to be fair to India, they probably got about 25 above par on that surface." That estimate felt conservative; India finished 61 runs clear.

The decisive shift from New York to Colombo was the head start Ishan provided. He rewrote the definition of attack in conditions where a run-a-ball was the norm. While most batters stuck to that script, Ishan operated at a strike rate of 192.50. His 77 off 40 balls was astounding; the next highest score was Suryakumar Yadav's 32 off 29.

The pitch appeared harder to bat on when India began their innings. Considering the difficulty, Ishan's knock set a new benchmark for grit. His opening partner, Abhishek Sharma, fell for zero, but that didn't curb Ishan's full-throttle approach.

Multiple factors could have dragged him back: the occasion, the competition's significance, the team's poor start, the treacherous pitch, and the large ground dimensions (74m, 84m, and 72m). Yet, he took on every condition, bowler, and fielder to clear the boundary.

Tilak Varma (24 off 25) was Ishan's ally in an 87-run second-wicket stand. While Tilak struggled, Ishan smashed the Pakistan bowlers with such force that even the 84-metre boundary seemed inadequate. His audacity was clear; he didn't fear going over even with a fielder on the rope.

Ishan's approach was simple: a wide, wristy backlift enabling natural on-side shots, and equally effective use of the off-side to force bowlers into his strengths. With the ball turning sharply, his plan was clear: make room on the off-side and wait to hit into the leg side.

Hesson explained the opener's impact: "I think he's fearless. He's able to score on both sides of the ground… the fact that he's in a rare vein of form applied a lot of pressure to our spinners."

After slumping to 1 for 1, India surged to 88 for 1 by the ninth over. With Ishan at the crease, the scoring rate hovered around 10 an over, making 200 a distinct possibility. His dismissal stalled the momentum; in the next eight overs, India managed only 3, 6, 10, 10, 7, 2, 9, and 4 runs before a late acceleration.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav applauded the effort: "After 0 for 1, there had to be someone taking responsibility in the powerplay… the way he took that responsibility was amazing."

Reflecting on his innings, Ishan said: "The wicket was not that easy in the beginning, but sometimes you just have to believe… I was just keeping it simple and watching the ball."

Ishan's resurgence is a fairytale. Once a regular in the Indian team—even scoring a double hundred in an away ODI—he was out of the setup for 26 months after recusing himself from a tour and missing domestic matches. Sent back to the domestic grind, he led Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, amassing 517 runs himself. The rest, as they say, is history.