IND vs PAK 2022: "Only Pakistan can lose a winning match" - Pakistani fans in disbelief after the Men in Green slip up against India
India and Pakistan put on a show for the ages at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to begin their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign on a memorable note. The Men in Blue emerged winners by four wickets following a breathtaking final ball finish on Sunday, October 23.
Pakistan made their presence felt in the game while defending the 160-run target. The pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah were on fire from the word go to reduce India to 31-4 in the seventh over.
With the run rate climbing steadily, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya stitched together a partnership that gradually kept India in the game as the run chase progressed.
However, the opposition were still miles ahead in the game, which was almost cemented after a couple of tight overs from Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah.
Pakistan just had to get through the penultimate over unscathed to leave Mohammad Nawaz with a defendable tally in the final over. Virat Kohli proceeded to take down Haris Rauf off the last two deliveries in the 19th over to reduce the equation to 16 runs off six.
In the final over, Pakistan arguably shot themselves in the foot as they failed to defend the target despite getting two wickets in the final over. To make matters worse, Nawaz's full-toss was adjudged to be no ball, making things easier for India at the end.
The manner in which the Men in Green lost the game after they had an iron-grip at one stage left several Pakistan fans fuming at the end of the game on Twitter.
Here are some of the reactions:
"A lot of credit to Virat Kohli" - Pakistan captain Babar Azam speaks after the numbing loss
After largely being in the game for the majority of the second innings, Pakistan simply did not have an answer to Kohli's exploits, who once again backed up his status as a chase master.
The ace batter scored an unbeaten 82 off 53 deliveries, arguably one of his greatest knocks, especially considering the situation as well as the occasion.
Backing his bowlers despite the loss, Babar Azam said during the post-match presentation ceremony:
"Our bowlers bowled really well. All credit to Kohli and Pandya. It wasn't easy with the new ball. We had partnerships after 10 overs. We had a chance. We tried to stick to our plans. But credit to Virat Kohli. In the middle we decided we wanted a wicket and held the spinner back. We had a lot of positives. The way Iftikhar played and the way Shan played."
India will next take on the Netherlands on Thursday, October 27 in Sydney, while Babar Azam's side are slated to travel to Perth to face Zimbabwe on the same day.
Do the Men in Green only have themselves to blame for this crushing loss? Let us know what you think.