'Whether we lose today or in 10 years or 50, it will happen' - When MS Dhoni predicted the inevitable loss against Pakistan

When Pakistan downed India by 10 wickets in Dubai on October 24, a 29-year-old losing streak came to a halt. India entered the game with an absurdly one-sided 12-match winning streak behind their back in ODI and T20 World Cups combined.

It was in 1992 when the two teams met for the first time in a global event. Three decades passed but a World Cup win against India agonizingly eluded every Pakistan captain until Babar Azam arrived. However, that this day will arrive was prophesied by Mahendra Singh Dhoni five years ago.

“If you are proud of the fact that we have won 11-0 against them [Pakistan], reality is also that we will lose some or the other day – whether we lose today, or in 10 years or 50, but it will happen. You can’t always keep winning,” Dhoni said in 2016 in a press interaction that has resurfaced after India’s recent loss.

On October 24, India were found wanting in nearly every department of the game, while Pakistan defied all statistical probabilities stacked against them to take the game in a style so ruthless it made up well for many previous losses.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli accepted that his team was outplayed on the night and that Pakistan never allowed them to be in the game. “They [Pakistan] definitely outplayed us. There’s no doubt about that. You don’t win by ten wickets if you do not outplay the opposition. We did not even get any chances – they were very professional and you definitely have to give them credit. We tried our best and we tried to create enough pressure on them, but they had the answers. There is no shame in accepting that a team played better than you,” he said.

“We tried our best, we made a decent total out of our situation and we thought we could put them under pressure, but they didn’t let us come into the game at any stage. They definitely deserve the credit for finishing off the game very strongly and not allowing us to put any pressure on them through the innings,” he added.