| 0.0 : Rivalry. Pressure. Noise. Memes. Silly ads. Over-the-top predictions. The build-up of this match has been so immense that many thought that the main round of the T20 World Cup 2021 was starting from 24th October. Everywhere there's a buzz. Everyone is talking about this match. No one wants to miss it. It's not exactly once in a lifetime opportunity but quite close to it given the bitter diplomatic relations between the two nations. So enjoy every bit of this rivalry as you don't know when will t |
| ... LET'S ROLL ... |
| That moment has arrived. The highly anticipated Indo-Pak clash is knocking on the door. There are many rivalries in cricket but this rivalry has a special place. More than a game of bat and ball, it's the clash of emotions on both sides of the border and you can feel the nervous energy in the air. Billed as the mother of all battles, expect the mercury to rise even more in the Dubai heat as the arch-rivals clash this evening. Nothing less than a humdinger can justify this epic encounter. On that |
| Hyped or overhyped, we leave that to your judgement but the clash of these two arch-rivals indeed brings both nations to a standstill. Lockdown is a word overused since the outbreak of the Covid-19 but even before that, it used to be a lockdown kind of situation whenever India locked horns against Pakistan. Such is the rivalry between the two nations that despite one team ruthlessly dominating the other, the charm has never died. This 'mauka mauka' advertisement talks about the hope that Pakista |
| India meeting Pakistan has often been treated as a war by their fans. But, end of the day, it's a game of cricket. When the players walk out to the middle, they don't think about anything else but to express their game in the best way possible. Pressure will always be there, how you tackle it will decide your fate. You got the skills, you got the talent and you got the class. That's why you're at this mega stage. Eventually, it boils down to how you deal with nerves, how you respond to situation |
| As far as the players from both sides are concerned, we already know it's a vast pool of talented players. Pakistan though look a bit light in the batting department as they rely mainly on Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman. When you compare that with India's batting, the Men in Blue have proven stars at every position and they are coming into this tournament after participating in an intense season of the Indian T20 League. The bowling of both teams can be considered to be on the sa |
| Stat - We already know about India's dominance over Pakistan across all World Cups. But another thing worth noting is that India have a win percentage of 87.5 against Pakistan in T20Is and the Men in Green have beaten the Men in Blue only once in 8 attempts. |
| Toss - It's time for the all-important toss. Dew is a big factor in Dubai, so in all likelihood, the captain winning the toss would look to bowl first. Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, two modern greats, are in the middle. Up goes the coin, Babar calls correctly and PAKISTAN ELECT TO BOWL FIRST! |
| Pakistan (Playing XI) - Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi. |
| Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, says they are going to bowl first. Tells that they would look for early wickets and try to put India under pressure. Also adds that the dew is on their mind. States he is looking forward to this game and they are well prepared. Adds Pakistan have always been a good bowling side but this time their batting is also good and they are confident. Ends by informing Haider Ali sits out from the preannounced 12. |
| Virat Kohli, the Indian skipper, says that he is pretty happy with setting the target. Adds that he would have bowled first but the toss is not in their control. Says that they have a balanced side. Adds that they want to stay as professional as possible, the key is to stay focused and do the basics right. Further adds that as players they need to disconnect from the emotional side of things and execute their plans. Shares that the pitch looks different than what it looked in the Indian T20 Lea |
| Stat - We had talked about one stat against Pakistan but there is one stat that is heavily loaded in their favour. They have 15 wins in T20Is in Dubai which is the most by any team and Pakistan are unbeaten at this venue since 2016. |
| Hardik Pandya is down for a chat. He says that it is not easy to stay calm in these situations but he tries not to get too hyped by the situation. Adds that he tries to stay away from social media before such clashes. States that as a team they try to keep things professional and look to execute their plans. Informs that his back is good but he won't be bowling in this game, but at some point of time in the tournament, he would love to bowl. Further adds that the medical team will play an import |
| India (Playing XI) - KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (C), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah. |
| Folks, we are set for the mega-clash to begin! But first, the players walk out for the national anthems. First, the anthem of Pakistan will be played followed by India's. What a moment! The stadium is jam-packed and as players, you dream of playing in front of a sellout crowd. |
| 0.1 : Shaheen Afridi to KL Rahul, Starts by pitching it up and around off, a bit of movement, KL Rahul presses forward and pushes it gently to the off side. |
| 0.0 : Right then! We are done with the pre-match formalities. Babar Azam has his team in a huddle before they spread out on the field. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul stride out to bat for India. A few words are exchanged between Sharma and Azam. Indian team has taken the knee to protest racial discrimination while the Pakistanis have their hands on their heart to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Shaheen Afridi with the first ball. Here we go... |
| 0.2 : Shaheen Afridi to KL Rahul, Full again, around off, Rahul drives from the middle of the blade to covers and Babar Azam stops it with a dive. |
| 0.3 : Shaheen Afridi to KL Rahul, India are away! On a length and around leg, KL gets back and taps it down towards square leg for a single. |
| 0.4 : Shaheen Afridi to Rohit Sharma, OUT! Rohit Sharma bags a golden duck! Pakistan strike early and the crowd roars. Plumb lbw. Fuller and straighter from Shaheen, it's in the line of the stumps, good pace and Rohit is very late in bringing his bat down. He is struck on the back pad, they appeal and the finger has gone up. You cannot get more plumb than this. Rohit knows that and returns without even thinking about reviewing the decision. |
| 0.5 : Shaheen Afridi to Virat Kohli, Back of a length, around off and angling away, Kohli walks across to cover his stumps and then makes a leave. |
| 0.6 : Shaheen Afridi to Virat Kohli, Kohli opens his account. Shaheen delivers it on a length around off, Kohli gets forward to push at it but the ball takes the inner half and rolls to the right of mid on. They take a run. What a first over by Shaheen Afridi! |
| 0.4 : The Indian skipper, Virat Kohli, walks out to bat. A lot earlier than he would have liked. |
| 0.6 : Will we see some spin from the other end? Yup, here comes Imad Wasim. |
| 1.1 : Imad Wasim to Virat Kohli, Flighted one, full and on middle, an arm ball, Kohli flicks it from the inner portion of his bat to short fine leg. It rolls to the right of the fielder inside the ring and they cross. |
| 1.2 : Imad Wasim to KL Rahul, Another arm ball, short and around off, Rahul goes back and punches it to covers. |
| 1.3 : Imad Wasim to KL Rahul, Tossed up but around leg, skidding down, Rahul nudges it to the left of short fine leg and picks up a run. |
| 1.4 : Imad Wasim to Virat Kohli, Fuller and flatter on middle, Kohli knocks it down through mid on for one. |
| 1.5 : Imad Wasim to KL Rahul, Arm ball on middle, on the shorter side, KL moves back and punches it on the leg side. Finds mid-wicket. |
| 1.6 : Imad Wasim to KL Rahul, Quicker again, flat and on off, this time Rahul punches it down to long on and takes a single. A couple of very good overs from Pakistan. |
| 2.1 : Shaheen Afridi to KL Rahul, OUT! STUMPS SHATTERED! India's batsman in form, KL Rahul is dismissed cheaply. Shaheen Afridi is on fire. That's quick, more than 140 kph and moves back in a bit late. Very difficult to play those. On a length around off, Rahul stays back to play across the line but misses. It nips back in, perhaps takes the inner half of his bat and then deflects onto the stumps off the thigh pad. Afridi is up and running in celebration. |
| 2.2 : Shaheen Afridi to Suryakumar Yadav, Serves it on a length around middle and off, Yadav defends it from the back foot to mid off. |
| 0.0 : Suryakumar Yadav finds himself in the middle now. His first time in a World Cup and he finds himself in a pressure situation. How will he respond? |
| 2.3 : Shaheen Afridi to Suryakumar Yadav, A low full toss around off, Yadav works it around from the toe end of his bat. |
| 2.4 : Shaheen Afridi to Suryakumar Yadav, Fullish and close to off, SKY whips it wide of mid on for one. |
| 2.5 : Shaheen Afridi to Virat Kohli, On a length around middle, Kohli uses his wrists and works it through square leg for a single. |
| 2.6 : Shaheen Afridi to Suryakumar Yadav, SIX! Up, up and over the fielder! This is how Suryakumar Yadav knows to play. Short in length, around off, Yadav gets on top of the bounce, uses his wrists well as he pulls it over square leg. The fielder in the deep runs across, jumps but it flies over him. First boundary of the game for India. |
| 3.3 : Imad Wasim to Virat Kohli, Fuller and on off, Kohli drives it back past the bowler to long on for one. |
| 3.2 : Imad Wasim to Virat Kohli, Loopy and full on middle, Virat gets forward and defends it quietly to the leg side. |
| 3.1 : Imad Wasim to Virat Kohli, Flatter and on middle, defended towards short mid-wicket. |
| 3.4 : Imad Wasim to Suryakumar Yadav, Shout for an lbw! Tossed up, landing full and just outside off, Suryakumar Yadav tries to sweep but misses. It goes off his pads to short third man and they appeal. The batsmen cross. Given as a leg bye. That hit the batsman outside the line. Babar Azam doesn't take the review after having a word with Mohammad Rizwan. |
| 3.5 : Imad Wasim to Virat Kohli, Fullish and around off, Kohli gets forward and pushes it with soft hands at covers for one. |
| 3.6 : Imad Wasim to Suryakumar Yadav, FOUR! Suryakumar Yadav means business! Full and flighted around off, SKY goes down on one knee and sweeps it sweetly through backward square leg for a boundary. Showing no nerves. |
| Will Shaheen Afridi bowl his third over? Here he comes. Babar Azam would love one more wicket from him in the Powerplay. |
| 4.1 : Shaheen Afridi to Virat Kohli, Delivers it on a length around middle, Kohli walks forward and nudges it in the gap at mid-wicket. Good running between the wickets and they take a couple of runs. |
| 4.2 : Shaheen Afridi to Virat Kohli, Lands it around off, on a fuller length, Virat Kohli presses forward to push it to the off side. Finds the cover fielder. |
| 4.3 : Shaheen Afridi to Virat Kohli, Shaheen Afridi cuts down on his length a bit, lands it around off, angling away, Virat stays back and taps it down to backward point. |
| 4.4 : Shaheen Afridi to Virat Kohli, Slightly short in length and around off, once again Virat Kohli hangs on the back foot and punches it through the line. Finds cover-point. Three dots. |
| 4.5 : Shaheen Afridi to Virat Kohli, SIX! This one has been nailed by the Indian skipper. Three dots, the pressure was building and Kohli decides to send the bowler packing. Shaheen serves it on a length around leg, Virat steps back to make room and launches it over long on. |
| 4.6 : Shaheen Afridi to Virat Kohli, Shaheen Afridi tries to surprise the batsman with a yorker but it turns out to be a low full toss around off, Kohli bunts it down to mid off and scampers across to the other end. 9 from this over and Shaheen Afridi is done with his three overs. India can take a breather now. |
| Change in bowling. Hasan Ali is set to steam in now. |
| 5.1 : Hasan Ali to Virat Kohli, Starts with a length ball, angling in from around off, Kohli jumps down the track and works it off his pads. It rolls towards mid on. |
| 5.2 : Hasan Ali to Virat Kohli, Shortish and outside off, Virat Kohli runs it down to third man and takes a single. No ball called for overstepping. Free Hit loading... Free Hit not loading actually. There was a lot of confusion. The umpire did raise his hand sideways but then he may have got a confirmation from upstairs that the foot is behind the line. It is a legal delivery. |
| 5.3 : Hasan Ali to Suryakumar Yadav, Well bowled. Hasan drops it on a length and around off, angling in and cramping the batsman for room, SKY plays it down from the crease to backward point. |
| 5.4 : Hasan Ali to Suryakumar Yadav, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Mohammad Rizwan takes a lovely diving catch. Boom...and boom...goes Hasan Ali in his trademark celebration! Hurls it across on a shortish length, outside off and seaming away with some extra bounce, Suryakumar Yadav flashes his bat at it but only manages to edge it behind. Mohammad Rizwan dives across to his right and grabs a fantastic catch, his 100th in T20s. |
| Who will India send in now? Here comes Rishabh Pant. It will be very interesting to see how he bats in this situation. |
| 5.5 : Hasan Ali to Rishabh Pant, Hasan Ali switches to 'round the wicket and delivers it on a length around off, Rishabh Pant steps forward and across before nudging it towards mid-wicket for a single. |
| 5.6 : Hasan Ali to Virat Kohli, FOUR! Virat Kohli finishes the Powerplay with a delightful boundary. Fuller in length and outside off, Kohli strides forward and crunches it through cover-point for a glorious boundary. India are struggling at 36/3 after the first 6 overs. |
| 6.1 : Shadab Khan to Rishabh Pant, Nicely tossed up, on off, Pant blocks it back to the bowler. |
| 6.2 : Shadab Khan to Rishabh Pant, Darted on the pads. Pant looks to whip it away but gets hit on the pads. |
| 6.3 : Shadab Khan to Rishabh Pant, Quicker and shorter, on leg. Pant tucks it to short fine leg. Wonder how long before he plays his natural game here. |
| 6.4 : Shadab Khan to Rishabh Pant, A touch shorter and wider outside off. Pant cuts it past backward point. The man in the deep gets to his right and keeps it to a couple. |
| 6.5 : Shadab Khan to Rishabh Pant, Nicely flighted, on middle and leg. Pant comes down the track and works it to short mid-wicket. |
| 0.0 : Shadab Khan is on now! A leg spinner against Pant, this should be a good contest. |
| 6.6 : Shadab Khan to Rishabh Pant, Just 3 from the over and Pakistan are keeping the pressure on India. Loopy ball, on leg. Pant dances down the track and works it to deep mid-wicket for a single. |
| 7.1 : Mohammad Hafeez to Rishabh Pant, Darted on the pads. Rishabh Pant blocks it back to the bowler. |
| 0.0 : Change! Mohammad Hafeez is on now! An off spinner as there is a left-hander out there. |
| 7.2 : Mohammad Hafeez to Rishabh Pant, Nicely played. Tossed up, wide outside off. Pant sweeps it well. The ball goes to the right of deep mid-wicket for one. |
| 7.3 : Mohammad Hafeez to Virat Kohli, Loopy ball, on leg. Kohli works it to long on for a single. |
| Review time! Rizwan is very, very confident. He has demanded a review and Azam takes it as an appeal for a caught behind is turned down. |
| 7.5 : Mohammad Hafeez to Rishabh Pant, Tossed up, around off and a bit short, Pant gets back and cuts it wide of the diving cover-point fielder for a single. |
| 7.6 : Mohammad Hafeez to Virat Kohli, Shorter ball, on leg. Kohli works it past mid-wicket for a single. |
| 7.4 : Mohammad Hafeez to Rishabh Pant, NOT OUT! UltraEdge shows no spike! This was a very risky shot though. The pressure was getting to him and he tried to break the shackles. Flatter ball, outside off. Pant gets low and attempts the reverse sweep. He gets no bat on it but Rizwan collects the ball and appeals. The appeal is turned down but Rizwan is very confident. The review is taken. UltraEdge shows that there was no bat or glove involved. |
| 8.1 : Shadab Khan to Virat Kohli, A full one, on middle, Kohli whips it to deep mid-wicket for a single. |
| 8.2 : Shadab Khan to Rishabh Pant, Tossed up, a googly, quite wide outside off. Pant looks to thump it through covers but gets no bat on it. |
| 8.3 : Shadab Khan to Rishabh Pant, Good fielding in the deep! Short ball, outside off. Pant cuts it past the diving point fielder. It looks like it will reach the fence but the man from sweeper cover gets to his right and dives to stop it. Two taken. |
| 8.4 : Shadab Khan to Rishabh Pant, In the air...but does not carry! Shorter ball, outside off. Pant looks to go downtown but miscues it. The ball goes in the air but lands well short of long off. Had he connected that a bit better, it might have carried all the way to the fielder. |
| 8.5 : Shadab Khan to Virat Kohli, Darted on the pads. Kohli flicks it away to mid-wicket. The bowler runs for it and keeps it to one. |
| 8.6 : Shadab Khan to Rishabh Pant, FOUR! That is a poor ball and it is punished by Pant! Quicker and shorter down the leg side. This is not what you want to bowl when there is a short fine leg as opposed to a fine leg. Pant gets low and hits it over that fielder for a boundary. |
| 9.1 : Mohammad Hafeez to Virat Kohli, Shorter ball, on leg. Kohli flicks it towards square leg and gets to the other end. |
| 9.2 : Mohammad Hafeez to Rishabh Pant, FOUR! That is a cracking shot by Pant! Flatter ball, right on the off pole and skidding in with the angle. Pant backs away, waits for it and then cuts it hard. The man at point dives but has no chance. Boundary. |
| 9.3 : Mohammad Hafeez to Rishabh Pant, Loopy ball, around off. Pant comes down the track and works it to long on for one. This is sensible batting. |
| 9.4 : Mohammad Hafeez to Virat Kohli, Kohli seems to be happy in giving the strike to Pant. Darted on the pads. He works it behind square leg for one. |
| 9.5 : Mohammad Hafeez to Rishabh Pant, Darted quicker, on the pads. Pant misses the flick and gets hit on the pads. Hafeez appeals but the ball is possibly going down the leg stump. |
| 9.6 : Mohammad Hafeez to Rishabh Pant, Shorter ball, on off. Pant goes on the back foot and turns it through mid-wicket. India are going run-a-ball at this stage. |
| 10.1 : Haris Rauf to Rishabh Pant, Rauf starts with a shorter ball, outside off. Pant cuts it over covers for a single. |
| 0.0 : DRINKS! Have to say, the first 10 overs belonged to Pakistan! They are on top in this game, they got the three wickets and did not let India score freely too. They can't rest on their laurels now though as Pant and Kohli have started to get a move on. One just gets the feeling that the momentum seems to be shifting in the last two overs or so. Can Pakistan strike back after the break or will India move ahead in the game? We will find out. Haris Rauf to bowl after the break... |
| 10.2 : Haris Rauf to Virat Kohli, Rauf has to reload now. Length ball, down the leg side. Kohli misses the flick and the umpire has a bit of arm-stretching to do. Wide! |
| Haris Rauf to Virat Kohli, On a length, on off. Kohli looks to flick it but it takes the leading edge. The ball goes to third man. Single. |
| 10.3 : Haris Rauf to Rishabh Pant, Fuller ball, outside off. Pant drives it towards deep backward point for yet another single. |
| 10.4 : Haris Rauf to Virat Kohli, Length ball, on off, Kohli hits it to the right of the bowler. Rauf dives but cannot get there. The ball goes towards mid on and a single is taken. |
| 10.5 : Haris Rauf to Rishabh Pant, Well bowled. A very full one, just outside off at 152 kph. Pant gets under it but hits it straight towards extra cover. |
| 10.6 : Haris Rauf to Rishabh Pant, Nicely played for a single. Full again, on middle, Pant hits it straight back. Rauf puts his left hand out but does not get to it. The man from long on gets to his right and keeps it to one. |
| 11.1 : Hasan Ali to Rishabh Pant, Length ball, around off. Pant gets down the track but taps it to point. We could see Pant upping the ante now. |
| 0.0 : Hasan Ali is back! A wicket in his first over and Azam probably wants another one and hence, gets him back. Can he deliver? |
| 11.2 : Hasan Ali to Rishabh Pant, SIX! Here comes the Pant special, one-handed maximum! Length ball, around leg. Pant gets low and tries to heave it towards deep square leg. The bottom hand comes off the handle but the ball goes all the way. That is the shorter side of the ground and Pant will likely target that. Babar Azam has a wry smile on his face. |
| 11.3 : Hasan Ali to Rishabh Pant, SIX! Two in a row! Another one-handed biggie! Ali comes over the wicket now. He bowls a slower ball, on a length, outside off. Pant extends his arms and hits it over long off. The bottom hand once again comes off but the ball keeps on flying over the fence. This time Kohli smiles. The momentum is shifting and the crowd is sensing it. |
| 11.4 : Hasan Ali to Rishabh Pant, Shorter ball, outside off. Pant punches it past point. The man from deep cover gets to his right but Pant and Kohli run hard to get the second run. |
| 11.5 : Hasan Ali to Rishabh Pant, Length ball, on the pads. Pant works it to fine leg for a single now. The 50-run stand comes up and this pair has bailed India out from a precarious situation. |
| 11.6 : Hasan Ali to Virat Kohli, Dot to end but India get 15 from the over. Length ball, on off. Kohli comes down the track and works it to mid-wicket. |
| 12.1 : Shadab Khan to Rishabh Pant, Tossed up, down the leg side. Pant looks to sweep but gets a faint edge on it. The ball goes over Rizwan. The man from short fine leg gets across and keeps it to two. |
| 12.2 : Shadab Khan to Rishabh Pant, Loopy ball, down the leg side again. Pant misses the sweep now. Wide called. |
| 0.0 : Change! Shadab Khan comes back into the attack now. This could be another over that India will target. |
| 12.2 : Shadab Khan to Rishabh Pant, OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! The leggie delivers and this is a big, big moment in the game. Pant was set to tee off but his wicket is a massive setback for India. Shadab Khan tosses this one too, but this is a googly, around middle and off. Pant gets low to slog-sweep but gets a top edge on it. The ball goes miles in the air. Shadab Khan moves back to his left, settles under it and gulps it down near mid on. The 53-run stand has been broken and Pakistan would look |
| 12.4 : Shadab Khan to Virat Kohli, Googly, on the pads. Kohli works it past mid-wicket for one. |
| 12.5 : Shadab Khan to Ravindra Jadeja, Flatter ball, on off. Jadeja works it towards mid-wicket. Shadab Khan sprints for it and keeps it to one. |
| 12.6 : Shadab Khan to Virat Kohli, Loopy ball, on off. Kohli pushes it past covers. He jogs for a while and then realizes that there could be a second run available. He sprints after that but the fielder comes in quickly and keeps it to one. A fine successful over from Shadab! |
| 13.1 : Haris Rauf to Virat Kohli, Kohli takes a few steps down the track, this is full and on middle, it is eased down to long on for one. |
| 0.0 : Ravindra Jadeja is the new man in, perhaps to maintain the left-right combination. |
| 12.3 : Shadab Khan to Virat Kohli, Fuller ball, on off. Blocked back to the bowler. |
| Haris Rauf is back on. He went for 6 in his first over. |
| 13.2 : Haris Rauf to Ravindra Jadeja, That is seriously quick! A 148 KPH delivery, it is a yorker on off, Jadeja looks to jam it out but gets an inside edge onto the pads. |
| 13.3 : Haris Rauf to Ravindra Jadeja, Nicely played by Jadeja! Just used the pace! Outside off, this is guided through point. Malik at third man runs to his left, slides and saves two for his side. Really well fielded! |
| 13.4 : Haris Rauf to Ravindra Jadeja, Just the one this time! Outside off again, Jadeja guides it towards point. The fielder there dives but it goes away from him, down to third man for one. We can really see the Pakistan players diving here and there and putting in a real effort, they are up for this game. |
| 13.5 : Haris Rauf to Virat Kohli, Rauf probably got a little too excited there! Bangs it way too short. It goes well over the batter's head. Wided. |
| Haris Rauf to Virat Kohli, FOUR! That is a gift for Kohli and he loved it! A fist pump from him as soon as he hit it! A full toss down the leg side, Kohli flicks it fine and it races away to the fine leg fence. |
| 13.6 : Haris Rauf to Virat Kohli, A decent comeback! A dot to end but still 9 from the over. A slower one on off, Kohli lunges and blocks it on the surface. |
| 14.1 : Shadab Khan to Ravindra Jadeja, Tossed up outside off, Jadeja guides it to point and wants one but is rightly sent back. |
| 14.2 : Shadab Khan to Ravindra Jadeja, Yet another dot! Tossed up on off, this is pushed to covers. |
| 0.0 : Ravindra Jadeja backs away at the last moment. The ball had already left Shadab Khan's hand but Jadeja backs away. He is quick to apologize to the bowler. |
| 14.3 : Shadab Khan to Ravindra Jadeja, Just the one! Singles won't really harm Pakistan! On middle, Jadeja works it wide of the bowler and down to long on for one. |
| 14.4 : Shadab Khan to Virat Kohli, Kohli continues to be watchful! On off, Kohli strokes it through covers for one. |
| 14.5 : Shadab Khan to Ravindra Jadeja, A little too full, this is crisply hit down to long off for one. |
| 14.6 : Shadab Khan to Virat Kohli, A single to end which means just the 4 from the 15th over. Excellent by Shadab, 4-0-22-1 for him tonight. The last ball is flatter and outside off, Kohli slaps it through covers and gets to the other end to retain strike. |
| 15.1 : Hasan Ali to Virat Kohli, Just short! Hasan Ali almost outsmarted Kohli there. He saw Virat coming down the track and bangs it short. Kohli looks to fend it away but it goes off the splice and lands just short of the bowler, to his right. |
| 15.2 : Hasan Ali to Virat Kohli, FOUR! Not a good ball, just not the ball Babar would have wanted. A slower bumper with the fine leg up. Kohli pulls it, he plays it with a lot of control past short fine leg and into the boundary. He is into the 40s now. |
| 0.0 : Change. Hasan Ali (2-0-21-1) is back. He was hit for a couple of sixes by Pant in his last over. Ali would want to make amends now. |
| 15.3 : Hasan Ali to Virat Kohli, BEATEN! Good comeback! Shorter and outside off, extra bounce on this one. Kohli looks to guide it down to third man but is beaten. So a boundary in between two dots in this over so far. |
| 15.4 : Hasan Ali to Virat Kohli, FOUR! Caressed! Once again a dot is followed by a boundary! This is trademark Kohli. That is a beautiful shot. Fuller and outside off, Kohli leans into it and strokes it past the diving cover fielder. The man at mid off gives it a chase but he has no chance. Top class timing and placement. |
| 15.5 : Hasan Ali to Virat Kohli, Now follows the boundary with a single as he pushes this back-of-a-length ball through covers. 9 from the first 5 balls. |
| 15.6 : Hasan Ali to Ravindra Jadeja, 10 from the over then! A welcome good over for them! Back of a length and on off, Jadeja waits and then guides it to point for one. |
| 16.1 : Haris Rauf to Ravindra Jadeja, Jadeja now looks to go big as he clears his front leg. Rauf bowls it quite full and on off, Jadeja only manages to push it to mid off and gets to the other end. |
| 0.0 : Shadab Khan is done with his quota of 4 overs. Change of ends for Haris Rauf (2-0-15-0) as he is back on. |
| 16.2 : Haris Rauf to Virat Kohli, Kohli now gives himself room! Rauf once again bowls it full. Kohli lofts it but towards sweeper cover for one. He wanted to get that a lot straighter than he did. |
| 16.3 : Haris Rauf to Ravindra Jadeja, A very well-disguised slower one, it lands on leg, Jadeja is foxed by the lack of pace, he pushes it to mid off for one. |
| 16.4 : Haris Rauf to Virat Kohli, Two slower balls in a row now! Really clever from Rauf! Maybe the Indian batters are not expecting slower ones from him. He has bowled two in a row now. This is outside off. Kohli is early into the slash. Misses. |
| 16.5 : Haris Rauf to Virat Kohli, Make that three in a row! Two dots out of it! Another slower one, this is on a length and outside off, Kohli guides it to point. Can Rauf end this over well now? |
| 16.6 : Haris Rauf to Virat Kohli, He does, just the 4 from the 17th. That is brilliant! Bowls the 4th slower one in a row. Kohli works it through square leg and retains strike. Three overs left, can India get to 150? |
| 17.1 : Hasan Ali to Virat Kohli, Two! Fifty for Kohli! Captain's innings! Do not look at the strike rate here. This is a quality knock. He had wickets falling at one end and needed to stay there and that is what he has done. Can he help his side finish well now? He gets there by playing this ball on middle towards mid-wicket for two. |
| 17.2 : Hasan Ali to Virat Kohli, FOUR! Up and over! Stand and deliver! Not the best of nights for Hasan Ali! Short in length and sits up to be hit around off. Kohli smashes it over covers for a boundary. |
| 17.3 : Hasan Ali to Virat Kohli, Cramps Kohli for room this time by bowling it on the middle pole, Kohli drops it towards covers and takes one. |
| 17.4 : Hasan Ali to Ravindra Jadeja, FOUR! That is yet another poor delivery from Hasan Ali! He is under pressure here! With fine leg up, he bowls this short and on the pads, it is pulled up and over the fine leg fielder for a boundary. Two balls to go in this over, how many more can India get? |
| 17.5 : Hasan Ali to Ravindra Jadeja, OUT! TAKEN! Hasan Ali strikes back! Big wicket as Jadeja could cause real damage in the last few overs. A really good slower one at 123 kph. Fuller and outside off, Jadeja is early into the whip across the line. He ends up hitting it high up in the air towards deep mid-wicket. Mohammad Nawaz, the sub, runs in and takes a very good catch. |
| Hardik Pandya walks out to bat now. The platform is set for him to provide India with late fireworks. |
| 17.6 : Hasan Ali to Virat Kohli, Two to end! Jadeja's wicket in it but still 13 from the over. Hasan Ali ends with figures of 4-0-44-2. A slower one on middle, this is worked through mid-wicket for a couple. Two more overs to go, can India get to 150? |
| 18.1 : Shaheen Afridi to Hardik Pandya, WIDE! The idea was not bad but the execution was not right! He goes for a full and wide ball outside off but serves it way too wide. Pandya goes after it but misses. Wided. |
| Shaheen Afridi to Hardik Pandya, Swing and a miss! Pandya swung really hard there! A good cutter, length and on off, it lands and then moves away. Pandya looks to flat-bat it but misses. |
| 0.0 : Who will bowl the penultimate over? Shaheen Afridi (3-0-19-2) is back on. He provided Pakistan with a dream start. Can he finish well here? |
| 18.2 : Shaheen Afridi to Hardik Pandya, FOUR! That is a beauty of a ball but Shaheen is very unfortunate that it has gone to the fence. A yorker around off at 90 mph, Pandya looks to jam it out but it goes off the bottom edge, runs fine towards third man for a boundary. India will take it! |
| 18.3 : Shaheen Afridi to Hardik Pandya, That is sharp! Really sharp. A short one, Pandya is beaten for pace as he tries to pull. It goes off the gloves but lands on the leg side between the keeper and the bowler who runs towards the ball. One taken. Kohli is back on strike. |
| 18.4 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the new man in. |
| 18.5 : Shaheen Afridi to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Fuller and on middle, Kumar jams it back towards the right of the bowler for one. |
| 18.4 : Shaheen Afridi to Virat Kohli, OUT! EDGED AND TAKEN! Shaheen Afridi is the man for Pakistan in this big game. Gets the big fish and this could very well stop India from scoring over 150. A really good slower bumper, it lands on middle and moves away at 79 mph. Kohli looks to pull but the tennis-ball like bounce means, it takes the top edge and Rizwan takes a good catch jumping to his right. Excellent with the new ball, impressive at the death, Shaheen is leaving a big impact on this match |
| 18.6 : Shaheen Afridi to Hardik Pandya, NO BALL AND FOUR! That is not what Pakistan wanted! Not sure for what it is, maybe for height! A high full toss outside off. Pandya guides it through point and this one races away to the fence. The replay shows that it's a no ball for overstepping. Free Hit time... |
| Shaheen Afridi to Hardik Pandya, FIVE BYES! That is poor from Pakistan. That should have been just the one. 10 from the last two balls of the 19th. 150 is well and truly possible now! This was a good ball on the Free Hit. It is short and outside off, Pandya misses the pull. They look to sneak a bye. Rizwan throws it to the bowler who turns and has a shy but misses. No one backing up and it's a boundary at long off. End of a huge over in the end. |
| 19.1 : Haris Rauf to Hardik Pandya, A really good start to the last over by Rauf! A slower one, shorter and around off, Pandya looks to pull, this one stays low. Pandya looks to pull but it goes over the off pole. |
| 19.2 : Haris Rauf to Hardik Pandya, Two! This time Pandya is waiting for the short ball, he pulls it through mid-wicket. It is in the gap. Two taken. |
| 19.3 : Mohammed Shami walks out to bat now. |
| Haris Rauf to Hardik Pandya, OUT! TAKEN! The cool and calm Babar takes a really good and important catch! The man who India would have been relying on to strike boundaries in this last over walks back. A good slower one, on off, Pandya looks to go over long off but is way too early into the shot. He does not pick the slower one. Ends up hitting it high up in the air towards mid off. Long off also runs in but it is Babar who moves towards the ball from covers and takes it. Can Pakistan now |
| 18.6 : Haris Rauf (3-0-19-0) to bowl the final over. Can India get to 160 here? |
| 19.4 : Haris Rauf to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, NOT OUT! Shami is in! These are vital runs! A slower one on middle, this is worked through mid-wicket. Two is the call by Kumar! Shami goes for it, the fielder from long on runs to his right, picks the ball up and fires it to the bowler who takes the bails off and appeals. It is referred but the replays show that Shami is in. |
| 19.3 : Is that a run out? Mohammed Shami seems to be safe. Yup, he is inside the crease. |
| 19.5 : Haris Rauf to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Two more! 150 up for India. Really smart batting from Kumar! Not easy to hit boundaries here. He once again with soft hand works it through mid-wicket and runs two more. |
| 19.6 : Haris Rauf to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, A bye to end! A superb last over then by Rauf! INDIA END WITH 151 FOR 7! Kumar walks right across to play the paddle scoop. Rauf bowls it short and well outside off. Kumar misses. They sneak a run which is a bye. Not wided as Kumar had moved across. |
| A fantastic last over by Haris Rauf but a couple of overs prior to that has allowed India to breach the 150-run mark. A really good comeback from India after early setbacks and this game is set up nicely. The scorecard reads 151 but it's India versus Pakistan and you can easily add 15-20 runs to the target due to the pressure this clash brings. |
| It was a shocking start for India as they lost Rohit Sharma for a golden duck and then KL Rahul followed his opening partner soon. Shaheen Afridi showed ruthless form with the new ball and put India in an early spot of bother. Hasan Ali joined in and removed Suryakumar Yadav to make it three down inside the Powerplay. The early nerves for India though settled down after that and Rishabh Pant joined hands with Virat Kohli for a partnership. After a period of consolidation, Pant injected fresh blo |
| Pakistan's bowling was brilliant in the first 10 overs as they had their rivals on the mat. But they failed to deliver the knockout punch. India found a way to recover as apart from Shadab Khan, no other bowler managed to exert any pressure in the middle overs. Virat Kohli's presence made sure that the strike was getting rotated and India managed to build a decent launching pad for the death overs. The Indian skipper scored a valiant fifty before getting out to Shaheen Afridi who picked the top |
| Shaheen Afridi says that getting the big wickets makes him happy. Adds that he worked on getting the ball to swing here as it gets easy for the batters if it doesn't swing. Further adds that batting against the new ball will be a little difficult, but apart from that, it is a good pitch to bat on. |
| Right then, can India defend the total to keep their streak intact? Will dew play a factor? How will both teams fare in the Powerplay? We will find all the answers in a short while. Stay tuned... |
| 0.1 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan, Right on the money. Bhuvneshwar Kumar lands it on a length around off, some movement in the air and off the pitch, Mohammad Rizwan stays back to defend and it goes off the outer half to point. |
| 0.2 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan, FOUR! Rizwan is off the mark! Fuller in length and on middle, Mohammad Rizwan gets it away from the middle of the bat and eases it past wide mid on. Varun Chakravarthy gives the chase and pulls it back to save a run for his team. Hang on a second, the replays show that Varun's left hand was in contact with the rope when he was pushing the ball back in. A boundary is signalled after the confirmation comes from the third umpire. |
| 0.3 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan, SIX! What a cracking shot! If you have watched PSL, you will know that Rizwan plays this shot particularly well. Short and around middle and leg, Rizwan rides the bounce and deposits it over deep square leg for a maximum. |
| 0.4 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan, On a length around off, defended to the off side. |
| 0.5 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan, On a length around middle and leg, Rizwan defends it on the leg side. |
| 0.6 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan, Serves it on a length around off, shaping away a bit, Rizwan is a bit squared up as he defends it out safely to the off side. A good comeback by Kumar in the last four balls. |
| 1.1 : Mohammed Shami to Babar Azam, A touch short and on off, Babar stays back and taps it down to covers for a run. Opens his account. |
| 0.6 : Who will start from the other end? Here comes Mohammed Shami. |
| 1.2 : Mohammed Shami to Mohammad Rizwan, Angling in from around off, the batsman has just watchfully blocked this out. |
| 1.3 : Mohammed Shami to Mohammad Rizwan, Delivers it on a length around middle, Rizwan uses the angle of the bowler and works it through square leg for a couple of runs. |
| 1.4 : Mohammed Shami to Mohammad Rizwan, Gets behind the line of the delivery and pushes it to mid on for a quick run. |
| 1.5 : Mohammed Shami to Babar Azam, FOUR! Class written all over this shot! Babar Azam, you beauty! Back of a length, around off, Babar Azam stands back inside the crease and punches it with authority through the gap at covers. The fielder dives inside the ring but it's away from him. |
| 1.6 : Mohammed Shami to Babar Azam, Shami targets the off stump with a length ball, it lands and straightens, Babar tries to open up the leg-side field by flicking but closes the face of the bat early. It takes the leading edge and rolls to cover-point. A good start for Pakistan, 18 from the first two overs. |
| 2.1 : Jasprit Bumrah to Mohammad Rizwan, Jasprit Bumrah tries for a yorker around off, but it's a low full toss and Rizwan tucks it in front of square leg for one. |
| 2.2 : Jasprit Bumrah to Babar Azam, Uppish but safe! Fractionally short in length, around off, Azam goes on his toes and punches it square of the wicket on the off side. It goes on one bounce to the point fielder. |
| 2.3 : Jasprit Bumrah to Babar Azam, Shortish and around off, Babar tries to run it down to third man but the backward point fielder quickly intervenes. |
| 2.4 : Jasprit Bumrah to Babar Azam, Bumrah bowls a full toss on middle at 89 mph, Babar flicks it with good timing to deep mid-wicket. Suryakumar Yadav runs across to his left in the deep to stop the ball before the fence and the batters collect three runs. |
| 2.5 : Jasprit Bumrah to Mohammad Rizwan, Slower one, full and outside off at 78 mph, Rizwan leans forward and pushes it to covers. He looks for a run but Babar sends him back. |
| 2.6 : Jasprit Bumrah to Mohammad Rizwan, A lovely dipping yorker around off at 91 mph, Mohammad Rizwan gets behind the line and digs it out back to the bowler. It's been a good start to the chase for Pakistan. |
| Change. Time for some spin as Varun Chakravarthy comes on. |
| 3.1 : Varun Chakravarthy to Babar Azam, Misfield by Kohli! Flighted and full outside off, Babar drives it to covers where Virat drives and parries it towards mid off. They cross for a single. |
| 3.2 : Varun Chakravarthy to Mohammad Rizwan, This one is tossed up around off, fuller in length, Rizwan goes down and slog-sweeps it in front of square leg for a single. |
| 3.3 : Varun Chakravarthy to Babar Azam, Well stopped by Ravindra Jadeja! Short in length and around off, turning in, Babar goes back and whacks it to the left of backward point. Jadeja dives full length to stop the racing ball and returns a flat throw to the keeper's end and hits the stumps. Babar is safely in. |
| 3.4 : Varun Chakravarthy to Babar Azam, Short again, outside off, Azam cuts but this time it has gone straight to the point fielder. |
| 3.5 : Varun Chakravarthy to Babar Azam, Beaten! Varun Chakravarthy is on the shorter side again, around off, Babar Azam rocks back to cut but it bounces over his blade. |
| 3.6 : Varun Chakravarthy to Babar Azam, Flatter one, around middle and leg, spinning down, Babar goes back to flick but misses and is hit on the pads. A fine first over by Varun. |
| 4.1 : Mohammed Shami to Mohammad Rizwan, On middle and leg, it's worked through backward square leg for a single. |
| 0.0 : Just the one over for Jasprit Bumrah. Here comes Mohammed Shami. |
| 4.2 : Mohammed Shami to Babar Azam, Nearly drags it on. Back of a length and close to off, Babar tries to dab it down to third man but gets an under-edge. He ends up chopping it down in front of the keeper. |
| 4.3 : Mohammed Shami to Babar Azam, FOUR! Pakistan will be feeling a lot at ease in the dressing room. This partnership has laid a strong platform already. Shami delivers it on a length and around middle, Babar picks it off his pads, uses his wrists and lofts it over mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| 4.4 : Mohammed Shami to Babar Azam, Again the line is too straight from Shami, on a length, Babar flicks it to deep square leg for one. |
| 4.5 : Mohammed Shami to Mohammad Rizwan, FOUR! Easy pickings! This is very poor bowling from Shami. Short in length around middle, Mohammad Rizwan bends his back knee a bit to get low and ride the bounce. He then pulls it with great control behind square leg for a boundary. |
| 4.6 : Mohammed Shami to Mohammad Rizwan, Fuller and on middle, angling down, Rizwan tickles it through square leg and retains strike. 11 from the over, 117 needed off 90 balls. India need wickets. |
| 5.1 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan, Wide! Kumar starts by bowling a wrong line down the leg side, Rizwan tries to flick but misses. |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar goes short and around off, Rizwan loves it there and pulls it behind square leg. Not much speed or power behind the shot and Rizwan dives back in to complete the second run. |
| 5.2 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan, Fuller and on middle, too straight, Rizwan works it to deep square leg and jogs across to the other end. |
| 5.3 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Babar Azam, Doing it with ease at the moment. Kumar delivers it on a length around off, Babar tries to defend from the crease but gets an inside edge onto the pads. It deflects in the gap on the off side and they pinch a single. |
| 5.4 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan, Another single pinched. This is smart batting. Around off on a length, Rizwan taps it down to covers and crosses for a single. |
| 5.5 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Babar Azam, The Indian bowlers have bowled on both sides of the wicket. This one is on middle and leg, Babar clips it through the gap at mid-wicket for a brace. |
| 5.6 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Babar Azam, A dot ball to end an ordinary over. Bhuvneshwar Kumar serves it on a good length around off, Azam gets behind the line and defends it to the leg side. At the end of the Powerplay, Pakistan are 42/0, needing another 109 runs for a win. |
| Ravindra Jadeja comes on now. |
| 6.1 : Ravindra Jadeja to Mohammad Rizwan, Flatter ball, outside off. Rizwan hits it to long on for one. |
| 6.2 : Ravindra Jadeja to Babar Azam, Nicely darted on off. Azam blocks it out. |
| 6.3 : Ravindra Jadeja to Babar Azam, Flatter ball, on off. A dot as Azam hits it back to Jadeja. |
| 6.4 : Ravindra Jadeja to Babar Azam, Another dot! Darted on off. Azam taps it to the right of the bowler looking for one but Jadeja gets across in no time and stops it with a slide. |
| 6.5 : Ravindra Jadeja to Babar Azam, Flatter ball, on the pads. Azam works it to deep mid-wicket for one. |
| 6.6 : Ravindra Jadeja to Mohammad Rizwan, Just 3 from that over! Shorter ball, outside off. Rizwan cuts it to the right of short third man for one. |
| 0.0 : Will we see Jasprit Bumrah have a go now? Yup, here he comes. |
| 7.1 : Varun Chakravarthy to Mohammad Rizwan, Tossed up, outside off. Rizwan drives it to deep cover for one. |
| 7.2 : Varun Chakravarthy to Babar Azam, Cracked away for a single. Shorter and outside off. Azam cuts it to deep cover for one. |
| 7.3 : Varun Chakravarthy to Mohammad Rizwan, Loopy ball, down the leg side. Rizwan misses the flick. Pant takes the bails off but Rizwan is safe. Wide called. |
| Varun Chakravarthy to Mohammad Rizwan, Nicely tossed up, on off. Rizwan blocks it with ease. |
| 7.4 : Varun Chakravarthy to Mohammad Rizwan, A top stand between these two and it brings up the 50 for Pakistan! Tossed up, around off. Rizwan works it to long on for one. |
| 7.5 : Varun Chakravarthy to Babar Azam, Lands on off and turns back in. Azam rocks back and punches it past covers for one. |
| 7.6 : Varun Chakravarthy to Mohammad Rizwan, Quicker one, on off. This turns back in but Rizwan taps it to the leg side. Pant runs across and collects it. Single. 6 from the over but India need wickets here. |
| 8.1 : Ravindra Jadeja to Mohammad Rizwan, Shorter ball, outside off. Rizwan cuts it to deep cover for one. |
| 8.2 : Ravindra Jadeja to Babar Azam, Tossed up, around off. Azam punches it uppishly but through covers for one. The towel comes out as one of the fielders dries the ball. Dew is setting in, not good signs for India. |
| 8.3 : Ravindra Jadeja to Mohammad Rizwan, Just a single as this is hit to long off. |
| 8.4 : Ravindra Jadeja to Babar Azam, Azam comes down the track so Jadeja bowls it quicker and shorter. Azam slaps it to short cover. |
| 8.5 : Ravindra Jadeja to Babar Azam, SIX! Oh, that is cracked and the pressure that was building has been released! A touch shorter, on off. Azam rocks back and pulls it cleanly over the mid-wicket fence. Kohli is a worried man. |
| 8.6 : Ravindra Jadeja to Babar Azam, A single to end and 10 came from that over. Pakistan are bossing this chase now. Flatter ball, on off. Azam punches it past covers for one. |
| 9.1 : Varun Chakravarthy to Babar Azam, FOUR! In the air, but in the gap! Shorter ball, outside off. Azam rocks back and goes for the cut. He gets the outside edge but it goes flies between short third man and backward point for a boundary. |
| 9.2 : Varun Chakravarthy to Babar Azam, A single as this is pushed to long off. |
| 9.3 : Varun Chakravarthy to Mohammad Rizwan, Hard running between the wickets! Rizwan taps this flatter ball towards long on. Suryakumar Yadav sprints in and fires the ball at the bowler's end but misses. Two runs in the end. |
| 9.4 : Varun Chakravarthy to Mohammad Rizwan, NOT OUT! Rizwan has his bat grounded, feels the third umpire! Flatter ball, on the pads. Rizwan works it to short fine leg and sets off for a single. Bhuvneshwar Kumar fires a direct hit at the bowler's end. The TV umpire is called in. The replay shows that while Rizwan put in the dive, his bat was in the air but standing upright as he loses the grip slightly and somehow he has got it dragged in. The third umpire gives it not out. Gave his decision ra |
| 9.5 : Varun Chakravarthy to Babar Azam, Darted on the pads. Azam works it past square leg for one. |
| 9.6 : Varun Chakravarthy to Mohammad Rizwan, A dot to end but 9 from the over. Loopy ball, on off. Rizwan gets forward and blocks it. These two are making it tougher and tougher for India to get back in the game. |
| 9.3 : A run out appeal and it is referred! India are not sure but direct hits are always interesting. Rizwan is the man in question. |
| 10.1 : Jasprit Bumrah to Babar Azam, Length ball, outside off. Azam punches it well. The man from point dives and gets his hand to it. The ball goes towards deep cover and they sprint back for the second. The throw comes in but they run really hard. |
| 10.2 : Jasprit Bumrah to Babar Azam, FOUR! Up and over! Slower ball, on a length, outside off. Azam drives it uppishly. The man from mid off gets to his left, leaps but the ball goes way over him. |
| 10.3 : Jasprit Bumrah to Babar Azam, On a length, on off. Blocked out by Azam. |
| 10.4 : Jasprit Bumrah to Babar Azam, A perfect yorker, just outside off. Azam gets his bat down but fails to dig it out. |
| 0.0 : DRINKS! This has been an extremely well-paced partnership so far! Surely Pakistan are on top as they need just over 8 runs an over heading into the last 10. Also, with the dew setting in, have to say, the ball at the moment is in the court of the batting side. India though can probably change things with a wicket, the conditions are not easy for a new batsman but from where will they get the wicket they need? Will the break work for them? We will find out. They need a wicket and they have turned |
| 10.5 : Jasprit Bumrah to Babar Azam, Fuller ball, on middle. Azam sets himself deep in the crease and hits it down the ground. The man from long on gets across and keeps it down to a couple. |
| 10.6 : Jasprit Bumrah to Babar Azam, Edged but a single. Length ball, outside off. Azam throws his bat at it. He gets the outside edge but the ball goes towards third man for one. 9 from the over and India would feel the game is slipping away from their hands now. |
| INJURY UPDATE - Hardik Pandya was hit on his right shoulder while batting and is off the ground. We are hearing that he has gone for a precautionary scan. |
| 11.1 : Ravindra Jadeja to Babar Azam, Darted on the pads. Azam backs away to the leg side and works it to long on for one. |
| 11.2 : Ravindra Jadeja to Mohammad Rizwan, Loopy ball, on off. Rizwan blocks it out. A dot ball here and there would not bother Pakistan at all. |
| 11.3 : Ravindra Jadeja to Mohammad Rizwan, Tossed up, outside off. Rizwan reaches out and sweeps it to deep mid-wicket for one. |
| 11.4 : Ravindra Jadeja to Babar Azam, Azam comes down the track so Jadeja fires one on the pads. Azam misses the flick. The ball hits the pads and goes to the off side. A leg bye is taken. |
| 11.5 : Ravindra Jadeja to Mohammad Rizwan, Shorter ball, on off. Rizwan pulls it to the right of long on. The fielder gets across and keeps it to a couple. |
| 11.6 : Ravindra Jadeja to Mohammad Rizwan, Quicker ball, around leg. Rizwan looks to flick but gets hit on the pads. 5 from the over. |
| 12.1 : Varun Chakravarthy to Babar Azam, Shorter ball, on leg. Azam looks to pull but gets the bottom edge. The ball goes towards square leg for one. |
| 12.2 : Varun Chakravarthy to Mohammad Rizwan, SIX! Over the fielder! Tossed up, wide outside off. Rizwan reaches for it and then slog-sweeps it. There is a man at deep square leg. He leaps but the ball goes over him. |
| 12.3 : Varun Chakravarthy to Mohammad Rizwan, Flatter ball, on off. Rizwan punches it past covers for one. |
| 12.4 : Varun Chakravarthy to Babar Azam, SIX! Poor ball and this is punished! Short ball, on middle. Azam rocks back, says thank you very much and sends the ball sailing over the mid-wicket fence. That brings up his fifty and what a knock this has been! The Pakistani skipper has led from the front and would want to finish the game soon now. The Indian skipper, Kohli, on the other hand, has a worried face. |
| 12.5 : Varun Chakravarthy to Babar Azam, Flatter ball, on off. Azam hits it to long on for one. That brings up the 100 for Pakistan and the century stand between these two. One feels that barring a horrible collapse, they should win it from here. |
| 12.6 : Varun Chakravarthy to Mohammad Rizwan, Flat and quick, on off. Rizwan hits it to long on for one. 16 from that over. 51 needed more. |
| 13.1 : Ravindra Jadeja to Mohammad Rizwan, On middle, Rizwan sweeps, it goes through square leg for one. |
| 13.2 : Ravindra Jadeja to Babar Azam, FOUR! Azam wants to end this quickly now! Slightly shorter and he picks the length early, rocks back and hammers it through mid-wicket. Boundary. |
| 13.3 : Ravindra Jadeja to Babar Azam, On off, Azam pushes it through covers for one. Good sensible batting. |
| 13.4 : Ravindra Jadeja to Mohammad Rizwan, On off, this is pushed down to long off for one. |
| 13.5 : Ravindra Jadeja to Babar Azam, Good call of no from Rizwan! Azam comes down the track and the length is shortened. Azam looks to cut but this goes off the outside edge to short third man. Azam wants a run but is sent back. |
| 13.6 : Ravindra Jadeja to Babar Azam, FOUR! The game is slipping away a little too quickly now! This is another 'hit me' ball! Shorter and on the pads, this is pulled hard and fine towards the fine leg fence. |
| 14.1 : Jasprit Bumrah to Mohammad Rizwan, A dot now! Need a lot more of these to build the pressure! A yorker on middle, this is jammed out back to the bowler. |
| 0.0 : Change in bowling. Virat Kohli brings back Jasprit Bumrah. He has gone for 13 from his 2 overs so far. Can he get the first wicket for India? |
| 14.2 : Jasprit Bumrah to Mohammad Rizwan, FOUR! Smashed! Another top-class shot! Once again picked the length early! Short and on middle, Rizwan rocks back and hammers the pull through mid-wicket. Almost a run-a-ball is needed. |
| 14.3 : Jasprit Bumrah to Mohammad Rizwan, Two more! On middle, this is worked with soft hands through mid-wicket. Two taken. |
| 14.4 : Jasprit Bumrah to Mohammad Rizwan, On middle, this is worked towards mid-wicket for one. |
| 14.5 : Jasprit Bumrah to Babar Azam, A yorker now on middle, Azam jams it out towards covers for one. |
| 14.6 : Jasprit Bumrah to Mohammad Rizwan, A short slower ball, outside off, it grips in the surface. Rizwan jumps and guides it to point and gets to the other end to retain strike. |
| Change. Mohammed Shami (2-0-19-0) is back on. |
| 15.1 : Mohammed Shami to Mohammad Rizwan, FOUR! CRACKED! India have not learned! They continue to bowl the short ball to Rizwan and he continues to feast on it. On the body, this is pulled hard through backward square leg. Races away. |
| 15.2 : Mohammed Shami to Mohammad Rizwan, On middle, this is worked through mid-wicket for one. |
| 15.3 : Mohammed Shami to Mohammad Rizwan, Singles will do it for them! On middle, fuller, Rizwan eases it down to long on and takes one. |
| 15.4 : Mohammed Shami to Babar Azam, Now Azam gets to the other end by working it through mid-wicket. |
| 15.5 : Mohammed Shami to Mohammad Rizwan, Goes fuller again and targets the pads of Rizwan. He tries to flick but gets an inside edge onto the pads. It rolls on the leg side. One taken. |
| 15.6 : Mohammed Shami to Babar Azam, A yorker now on middle, Azam jams it back to the bowler. A dot to end. |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-0-18-0) is back on. |
| 16.1 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan, Outside off, on the shorter side, Rizwan throws his bat at it, it goes towards sweeper cover for one. |
| 16.2 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Babar Azam, On middle, Azam hits it down to long on and gets to the other end. |
| 16.3 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan, A dot! This is full and wide outside off, Rizwan reaches out for it but misses. He is surprised that it has not been called a wide. |
| 16.4 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan, WIDE! This one has been given as a wide! Well outside off again, Rizwan slashes but misses. |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan, Creamed! Fuller and outside off, Rizwan times it wonderfully but towards long off for one. |
| 16.5 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Babar Azam, WIDE! Yet another wide! It was a marginal call but a right one. Well outside off, Azam lets it be. Wided. Can't give such bonus runs. |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Babar Azam, Brilliant running! Length and on off, this is slapped down towards long off. Couple. This is now also the highest opening stand against India in T20Is. |
| 16.6 : Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Babar Azam, Azam wanted a wide now! Not given! Another one outside off, Azam leaves it alone. That is the end of the over. |
| 17.1 : Mohammed Shami to Mohammad Rizwan, SIX! BANG! 2 more of these and Pakistan will be home! That is a gift and Rizwan puts it away! A full toss on the body, it is pulled well over the fine leg fence for a biggie. |
| 17.2 : Mohammed Shami to Mohammad Rizwan, FOUR! Runs needed in single digits now! A full one on off, Rizwan drags it through mid-wicket. The ball races away to the fence. Can he end it in this over itself? |
| 17.3 : Mohammed Shami to Mohammad Rizwan, FOUR! 3 in 3 needed now! To end the game in this over that is! Once again Shami bangs it short, Rizwan says thank you very much and pulls it through backward square leg for a boundary. |
| 17.4 : Mohammed Shami to Mohammad Rizwan, Two more needed! On middle, fuller, it is worked down to long on for one. |
| 17.5 : Mohammed Shami to Babar Azam, IT IS BABAR AZAM WHO HITS THE WINNING RUNS FOR HIS SIDE! Such a fitting end, his first game as skipper against India in a World Cup and it is him, who hits the winning runs and helps Pakistan beat India for the very first time across all World Cups! A beautiful shot. It is fuller and on middle, Azam works it through mid-wicket. They take one, go for the second. Long on runs to his right, picks the ball and fires it to the bowler but Rizwan is in. PAKISTAN WI |
| PAKISTAN HAVE DONE IT! They've ended the age-old dominance that India had over them across World Cups. They've grabbed the 'mauka' finally and their public can, at last, celebrate a win over India in the mega event. Babar Azam has done something that many legends of Pakistan cricket failed to do. This would be the greatest moment of his cricketing life. A feather in his cap that he will cherish always. Unimaginable achieved. The monkey is off their backs and the streak is over. Congratulations t |
| Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, two of the most successful batsmen in this format of late, planned this chase in the best way possible. They are known as the accumulators of runs and not a typical T20 batter and showed that it's possible to overhaul a target without doing anything extravagant. The pair played some classy shots, picked the gaps to rotate the strike and never allowed India any chance to get back in the game. |
| India got outclassed completely. Bowling second anyway was a big disadvantage in Dubai, due to the dew factor, and the Indian batting flopping didn't help their cause. Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant helped them to recover from early hiccups but the target they eventually set was not going to be enough. Still, India had hoped for early wickets to create some pressure but it never came and Pakistan thwarted the Indian bowling to achieve a historic win over them in a World Cup match. |
| Shaheen Afridi set the tone for this victory. His early blows took the wind out of the Indian sails. Hunting down Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli in this high-octane contest can always be considered as a match-winning performance. Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf also contributed superbly with the ball to maintain the pressure and you cannot ignore their efforts. All in all, a great day in the history of Pakistan cricket. |
| Presentation time... |
| SHAHEEN AFRIDI IS THE PLAYER OF THE MATCH! Says that the blessing of the Pakistani people was with them and they are feeling very proud. Mentions that he worked on getting the ball to swing. Feels that batting against the new ball was a bit difficult but credits Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for the way they batted. Finishes by saying that they want to take this momentum forward into the tournament. |
| Virat Kohli, the captain of India, says this is not the start they wanted and admits that Pakistan outplayed them. Mentions that Pakistan started really well with the ball and it was never going to be easy especially with the dew coming in. Adds that Pakistan were very professional in the chase and did not give them a chance. Feels that the batting got easier, driving on the up was easier, but they knew the conditions would change and favour the team batting second. States that they needed 15- |
| Babar Azam, the skipper of Pakistan, says that the team executed the plans really well. Credits the bowlers for the way they bowled and mentions how well Shaheen Afridi bowled at the start. About the batting, Babar replies that he and Mohammad Rizwan look to keep things simple and that worked for them. Adds that once dew came into play, it got easier to bat so they wanted to bat till the end. Informs that winning this game gives them confidence but this is just the start of the tournament for t |
| It's time to bring down the curtain on this highly anticipated clash. It turned out to be a one-sided affair, as unexpectedly, India were given an absolute hammering by Pakistan. From such a high-octane contest, we move to Monday and it will bring the match between Afghanistan and Scotland your way. The action will begin at 6 pm local (2 pm GMT) but you can join us in advance for the build-up. Signing off thinking about the blank cheque offered to the PCB chairman Ramiz Raja by an investor. Chee |
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