India and Pakistan players interact after the final

It was a high-intensity game, the one where emotions and nerves take control of the proceedings and for one to emerge out on top they don’t just have to play good cricket but also crown these attributes. On the given night it was the Pakistan team that rose to the occasion. The young, inexperienced players in the team along with the veterans put up a performance that will make the entire nation proud.

With the bat, the ball and on the field they gave it their all and in the end, despite the Indian team being the heavyweights on paper and carrying the defending champion’s status it was the Men in Green who lifted the trophy. From opener, Fakhar Zaman who was playing his first set of ODIs having debuted in the Champions Trophy to 19-year-old Shadab Khan and Hasan Ali all put their hand up to make their contributions.

While the fans almost carry the feeling of animosity and treat each other as foes the cricketers share a great bond. We have often heard stories of how India and Pakistan cricketers hang out with each other after the game, share experiences and relish a good friendship. And it has continued with time, while the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and likes have been friends with Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar & co. the next generation the Virat Kohlis and Mohammad Amirs are taking it forward.

After the match last night when the Pakistani team was on a high and the Indians on a low but it was not a sore ending for the Men in Blue, they took the defeat on the chin and accepted that Pakistan were better on the day and deserved to win. The opposition in their victory were jubilant but not brash and thus we saw players from both the sides not only shake hands but stand alongside in the post-match presentation and share a good laugh.

This is what indeed makes cricket a sport where spirit prevails over pure competitiveness. Though it cannot be summed up in a few seconds of footage that was available for us to watch it does give us a sense of the mutual respect the cricketers have for one another.

Watch the video here: