What a stunning conclusion to this extraordinary fixture. Only left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz was left to deliver the final over, which required 16 points. In order to prevent the Indian duo of Kohli and Hardik from winning, he bowled with a long run-up with Rizwan stood back.
Hardik failed to hit a big first pitch and fell. The next two balls produced a single and a double, bringing India’s total to 13 from the final three balls. Nawaz then bowled a high full toss, which Kohli caught over deep square leg and was called a no ball by the umpire. The final equation was 6 off 3. The next time Kohli faced a ball, he was foxed, but the ball sailed over the stumps and to the third man. The ejection was ineffective because the ball was a free-hit delivery.
When the solution was 3 off 2, Dinesh Karthik was left perplexed. After R Ashwin allowed a leg-side ball to fall, the equation changed to 1 off 1 and was now 2 off 1. When the field opened up, Ashwin calmly smacked a ball over midoff to end an incredible chase. Those scenes! Indian players surround Kohli, Rohit carries him, and it seems like Kohli is crying. What an ending!
What a finish we are faced with. India has outsized the 48 off 18 equation, going from 48 off to 31 off, and now to 16 off 6. Haris Rauf maintained his pace and control in the 19th over, which Pakistan was winning, but he made a mistake with the final two balls. Kohli first saw through a sluggish bouncer and blasted it for a straight six. A leg-side ball was then sent over fine leg for an additional six. With Nawaz set to bowl, 16 can be earned from 6.
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In order to get his half-century, Virat Kohli pulls a Shaheen Afridi delivery, but Haris Rauf still has one over to bowl, making the equation 48 off 18 challenging for India.
Unsettlingly, they repeat the pattern in the 12th over as well (remember the 21-run Axar Patel over?). Mohammad Nawaz, a left-arm spinner for Pakistan, was the victim this time, taking three sixes in one over. Are things about to get reversed?
Axar Patel’s experiment at position #5 is unsuccessful. Not because the left-hander couldn’t play hit shots, but rather because Kohli and the left-hander miscommunicated during a run. When attempting to pinch a single, Kohli gave him a slight yes-no, and he was sent back. Axar whirled around, sprinted back, and even attempted a dive, but he was stopped in his tracks. Rizwan didn’t receive the ball cleanly and appeared to have broken the stumps with his hands, allowing Pakistan to just barely pick up the wicket.
Replays, however, demonstrated that the ball struck the stumps after ricocheting off his glove. Before Rizwan had a chance to use his hands to shatter the stumps, the bail lit up and slipped out of the groove. Pakistan was thus the winner, according to the TV umpire. Although it was tight, Pakistan prevailed.
MCG has been put on hold! Pakistan is overjoyed! Why shouldn’t they be, then? With a vicious short ball, Haris Rauf struck out India’s top T20 batsman at the moment. By leaning back and lapping the ball over the slip cordon, Suryakumar attempted to make a last-second adjustment. However, the bounce was steep, and an edge went to Rizwan behind the stumps.
Rohit Sharma has left. Just outside the off-stump, he poked at a shot from Haris Rauf, and Iftikhar Ahmed made a quick hold. The pursuing team is having difficulty right away. Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav are now in action!
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And KL Rahul exits. The Indian openers made a shaky start as they assessed how the ball was behaving for the Pakistan quicks. Rahul made the mistake of being overly hesitant in this situation and played the ball onto the stumps. No way, shape, or form, is this chase going to be simple with India 7 for 1.
India fought back hard with middle-order wickets thanks to fifty-plus scores from Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed, but they let up 53 runs in the final five overs, allowing Pakistan to score 159 for 8. Pakistan thought they had enough for a win at one point since they were aiming for a total of less than 140.
Shaheen Afridi is a skilled batsman as well. He hit Arshdeep with a deep square leg, and Pakistan has now surpassed 150!
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India is applying terrific bowling pressure right now. They were subjected to a brief attack in the middle before striking back even harder. Following Hardik’s destruction of the middle order, Arshdeep came back to select the hazardous Asif Ali and bring about the collapse. Pakistan is currently seven down and facing a low total.
The sixth bowler for India is effective. Again, it’s his firm length that gets the job done. Mohammad Nawaz scanned the field, trying to clear space so he could cut the ball to third man, but he was only just able to nick it to Dinesh Karthik in back.
The Indian bowler strikes twice against Shadab Khan and Haider Ali, taking two identical wickets. The two holed out directly to Suryakumar Yadav at deep midwicket and long on. All of a sudden, Pakistan is down five!
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What better way to indicate Pakistan’s adjustment in strategy than an over like this one worth 21 runs? 6 0 6 6 0 3. In his first over, Iftikhar totally dragged Axar Patel about while hammering straight sixes! On the way, he reached fifty-six, increasing Pakistan’s rate of scoring. Shami was brought back by Rohit Sharma, and the decision was a success. The right-leg hander’s was caught by the pacer as she travelled full-speed, straight, and quickly. Iftikhar leaves having completed the task with a 34-ball 51.
When Shan Masood top-edged a pull against a Shami bouncer toward Ashwin at fine leg, India felt they had another. The ball appeared to be in the offie’s enormous palms after he dove forward, but replays revealed that it had just bounced before landing in his hands. Masood will continue to live and die.
Iftikhar Ahmed and Shan Masood are leading the rebirth in this place. India has been outstanding with the ball and they have options, so there is still a long way to go. Despite the fact that Pakistan’s scoring rate is currently under six, which is practically illegal in T20 matches today, at least they currently have a partnership.
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The foundation of Pakistan’s batting has already been destroyed, and we are just in the fourth over. This will be a fantastic test for Pakistan’s struggling middle order. Arshdeep will finally succeed this time. After playing a couple of stunning full deliveries that shaped away from him and missing them, Rizwan’s eyes brightened up as he noticed that the left-armer had gone a bit short. But because Arshdeep’s delivery came quickly, he became hurried and top-edged a pull attempt to the fine leg fielder. 15 for 2!
The two hitters are currently dancing to his music, however, he’s not necessarily playing at a fast rate. The Pakistani duo is in peril when he swings. They require a shackles-breaking someplace in this area.
The first ball Arshdeep ever bowled in a World Cup results in a wicket. He pitches this up on a decent length and swings it back to Babar Azam, who utterly misses it and gets struck in the pad, showing no signs of nervousness at all. As soon as the finger was raised, that appeared to be square. Early on in the match, Pakistan suffers a significant wicket loss. Babar brings a review back to the pavilion with him as well.
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Excellent beginning for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Rizwan was tapped on the glove, causing the starter to flinch a little in discomfort. There is also some swing. The batsman failed to score a run in the first six balls, and the innings began with a wide.
