5 most thrilling last-ball finishes in T20I cricket
T20 is one of the most watched and attractive formats of the game. Almost every second match goes down to the wire, keeping the cricket fans on the edge of their seats.
And T20 is such a short format that the game changes in a span of few deliveries. Hence, we see a lot of T20 games go into the final over of the match.
Many matches have also been decided on the last ball of the game and in such situations, the tension around is high and both the batsman and the bowler feel the pressure.
On that note, here we look at 5 most thrilling last-ball finishes in T20I cricket.
Note – Only matches where 3 or more runs required off the last ball are considered.
#5 India vs England – Mumbai (2012)
The 2012 series in India was a historic one for England. They won the four-match Test series 2-1 after being 1-0 down after the first game. It was their first Test series win in India in 28 years.
Post the Test series triumph, England played a two-match T20I series before they went back to England for a Christmas break. In the first T20I, India eased to victory as they chased down 158 inside 18 overs.
In the second T20I, England won the toss and elected to field first. Most of the Indian batsmen got starts but no one could convert it into a big one. Hence, the hosts ended up with 177 in their 20 overs with skipper MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli making quick-fire 38s.
Chasing almost nine runs per over, England got off to a very good start. Michael Lumb and Alex Hales added 80 runs in just over eight overs before Yuvraj Singh’s triple strike dented England’s chase. However, skipper Eoin Morgan took it upon himself to take England home.
With 23 runs required off two overs, Morgan and Jos Butler fetched 14 runs off the penultimate over. Ashok Dinda bowled the final over and with nine runs in the bank, he bowled the first five deliveries superbly and gave away only six runs in them.
With three runs needed off the final ball, Morgan kept his cool and struck a superb six straight down the ground to help England level the series 1-1.