IND vs PAK 2022: Virat Kohli pulls off sensational win for India in last-ball thriller against Pakistan
Virat Kohli scored an exceptional 82* off 53 balls as Team India defeated Pakistan by four wickets in a nail-biting T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12 encounter at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday, October 23
In a match that exceeded all the hype, the game kept swinging both ways. It all came down to 16 off the last over. India lost Hardik Pandya (40) to the first ball from Mohammad Nawaz. However, Kohli swatted the fourth delivery, which was a high full-toss, for a six. The delivery was also called a no-ball, something which Pakistan were not pleased with. The decision was arrived at without looking at the replays.
There was more drama to follow. Kohli was bowled off the free-hit delivery (Nawaz sent down a wide before that). However, the ball deflected after hitting the stumps and went past short third man. The batters ran three. Pakistan wanted a dead ball to be declared, but the umpires gave three byes.
Next, Dinesh Karthik (1) was stumped off the penultimate delivery. However, with one run needed off the last ball (Nawaz bowled another wide before that), Ravichandran Ashwin lofted it over the infield to confirm victory for India.
The Men in Blue got off to a horror start in their chase of 160, crumbling to 31/4 inside seven overs. The Men in Blue batters looked nervous and fidgety, beginning with KL Rahul (4), who dragged a short-of-a-good-length delivery from Naseem Shah back onto the stumps while attempting to steer the ball behind the wickets. Not an unfamiliar dismissal for the Indian opener.
Haris Rauf then took out Rohit Sharma (4) and Suryakumar Yadav (15) with pacy deliveries. The Indian captain poked at a rising delivery outside off stump and the ball flew off the edge to slip, where Iftikhar Ahmed took an excellent low catch. SKY then attempted his trademark steer down to third man. But he was cramped for room and beaten for pace. In the end, all he managed was to nick the ball to the keeper.
As if things weren’t bad enough for India, Axar Patel (2) was run out following a horrible mix-up with Kohli. The left-handed batter dabbed a ball towards midwicket and set off. Kohli started to run and then sent Axar back. Keeper Mohammad Rizwan fumbled the throw from Babar Azam, but the third umpire concluded that the ball was in contact with the gloves when the bails were dislodged.
Kohli and Hardik then featured in a fifth-wicket stand of 113 to raise India’s hopes although they had fallen way behind the run rate. The much-needed big over came for India in the 12th over as the batters combined to slam Nawaz for three sixes. Despite the fight from Kohli and Hardik, Team India went into the last four overs needing a hefty 54.
Kohli reached his fifty by pulling Shaheen Afridi for a four at the start of the 18th over. He got two more fours off the over, lofting one over extra cover and whacking the last ball over short fine leg.
With the equation getting out of hand, he then hit two superb sixes off Rauf to end the penultimate over. The first one was banged down the ground and the second whipped over fine leg with disdain. The last over then produced drama, controversy and a victory for India.
Arshdeep, Hardik claim three each; Masood, Iftikhar fifties lift Pakistan to 159/8
Arshdeep Singh and Pandya shone for India with three wickets each after the Men in Blue won the toss bowled first under helpful conditions. However, contrasting fifties from Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed allowed Pakistan to recover from a poor start to post a challenging 159/8.
Bowling first after winning the toss, Arshdeep got India off to a sensational start, exploiting the swinging conditions. After Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled a tight first over, conceding only one run, Arshdeep trapped Pakistan skipper Babar Azam (0) lbw with his first ball.
The opening batter attempted to whip a full delivery that swung into the pads, but failed to make to contact and was struck in front of the stumps. The Pakistan captain went for the review more in hope than conviction.
Arshdeep also got the other big name in the Pakistan line-up - Mohammad Rizwan. The prolific run-getter struggled against the moving ball and perished for 4 off 12, top-edging a well-directed bouncer. India dominated the powerplay, holding Pakistan to 32/2.
As the pitch got better to bat on, Masood opened up and struck a few much-needed boundaries for Pakistan. The left-handed batter had a close shave in the eighth over when he top-edged a short ball from Mohammad Shami. Ashwin ran in from fine leg and dived forward, but the ball bounced just before he could get his hands underneath it. Along with Iftikhar Ahmed, Masood steadied Pakistan as they reached 60/2 at the halfway stage.
After the drinks break, Iftikhar attacked the Indian spinners and transferred the pressure back onto the bowling side. In the 11th over, he launched Ashwin for a six over long-on. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel was introduced in the next over and Iftikhar clobbered him for three sixes.
The first ball was slog-swept over wide long-on and the third delivery slammed over the bowler’s head, while the next ball was lofted to long-off. The batter reached a brilliant fifty in the same over by slashing a short ball past deep point and running three.
Shami gave India some relief, trapping Iftikhar lbw for 51. A full delivery and pacy delivery skidded on and beat Iftikhar’s attempted punch down the ground. Hardik's double strike then brought India right back in the game. Shadab Khan (5) slogged a hard-length delivery to long-on. In the same over, Haider Ali (2) hacked a delivery of a similar length to deep midwicket. Pakistan’s healthy 91/2 suddenly became 98/5 after 14 overs.
Nawaz came in and hammered Pandya for two fours. However, the pacer stuck to his plan and was rewarded with his third wicket. He dug in a short-of-a-length delivery at Nawaz’s body, cramping him for room. The ball bounced a little extra as well and Nawaz (9) could only glove it to the keeper.
Arshdeep then returned to dismiss the dangerous Asif Ali for 2. The Pakistan pacer tried to duck under a short ball which did not rise enough. He ended up getting in a tangle and gloved the ball to the keeper, who took the simplest of catches.
Masood, who patiently held one end up amid the flurry of wickets, slashed Shami for two crucial boundaries in the 18th over. After the No. 3 reached a hard-fought fifty with a single off Arshdeep in the penultimate over, Shaheen Afridi took on the young left-armer and slammed him for a six and a four off consecutive deliveries.
Bhuvneshwar ended Afridi’s cameo of 16 (8 balls) in the last over as the left-hander miscued a pull and offered a simple catch to the bowler. Rauf, however, came in and whacked the next ball, a full-toss on the pads, over midwicket for a maximum.
Pakistan fought back well, but couldn't dislodge Kohli, who made a big difference in another chase.