An alive and kicking inning in the ongoing World Cup had seemed too good to be true. Ergo, the heart-breaking reality check reared its head in Bangalore wherein Shaheens failed to rebound after a devastating loss against India. Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique’s spectacular 134-run opening partnership failed to give Pakistan a boost of confidence as it tried to shatter its own record. Its successful 345-run chase against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad 10 days ago had made headlines as the highest in World Cup history. But far more menacingly, stood Kiwis, who feasted on a string of missed catches and bowling failures, and impressed the crowd with a mammoth 368-run target. Pakistan’s impressive start in the tournament is fast losing its appeal as the players have fallen in tune with a familiar pattern. Pinning hopes on one or two miraculous performers instead of working on the overall lineup! This time, too, Pakistan believed it would defy the odds as long as the man in crisis stood firm at the crease. Dropping a giant like Warner was not a mistake it could afford in a high-stake match against the Kiwis and the need for a stronger lineup could not be felt any stronger. Playing against a team that had had a worse stint so far, our players should not have struggled to shake off nervous jitters, especially when they were comfortably positioned on the table. It does not suit prominent stars to tug at the heartstrings of their audience with determined resolve and an unmistakable twinkle in their eyes if all they plan on doing is falling flat on the pitch. They needed fireworks like David Warner and Mitchel Marsh and the other side to commit even bigger blunders to claim victory. Sadly for Pakistan, Aussies were in no mood to fight half-heartedly or show any mercy. And why would they, what is cricket, if played without a ruthless streak? *