An unbeaten 82 from Virat Kohli led India to a stunning last-ball win over Pakistan to supercharge their bid for a primary Twenty20 World Cup crown since 2007 in entrance of 90,000 followers on the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.
The world primary Indians restricted their fierce rivals to 159-8 and scraped residence by 4 wickets after a outstanding last over, with celebrity Kohli the hero.
It seemed to be going badly fallacious for India as they struggled to simply 45-4 off 10 overs, midway by means of their chase.
But Kohli and Hardik Pandya (40) launched a fightback with a century stand that left India needing 16 off the ultimate over from a nervous Mohammad Nawaz, who peppered it with wides and no-balls to assist them to their goal.
Victory was essential in a gaggle that additionally contains South Africa, Bangladesh and qualifiers Zimbabwe and the Netherlands, with solely the highest two making the semi-finals.
India have largely dominated Pakistan because the late Nineties however had misplaced two of their three earlier clashes together with by 10 wickets within the group part ultimately 12 months’s T20 World Cup and the latest Asia Cup.
But India had been in good latest kind, successful residence sequence towards Australia and South Africa, driving on the success of their batting line-up.
Few sporting rivalries match the eagerness of India-Pakistan and the environment was electrical as Pakistan received off to a stuttering begin after being despatched in to bat with captain Babar Azam out lbw for a golden duck to Arshdeep Singh.
Azam reviewed, nevertheless it was plumb in entrance, with Singh’s swing inflicting extra carnage in his subsequent over when Mohammad Rizwan (4) top-edged a rising ball to Bhuvneshwar Kumar at superb leg.
Masood survived a slender run out attraction as he and Ahmed labored to rebuild the innings.
They reached 60-2 on the midway mark then Ahmed flicked a change when the sluggish bowlers got here on, hitting Ravi Ashwin for six then plundering three extra in a single over from Axar Patel.
Ahmed reached his half-century earlier than Mohammed Shami trapped him lbw, sparking a collapse with Pandya snaring Shadab Khan, Haider Ali and Mohammad Nawaz within the house of 19 runs.
India additionally had a horror begin with KL Rahul out within the first over to Naseem Shah, dragging the ball onto his stumps, then Ahmed took a blinding catch at slip to take away skipper Rohit Sharma (4) off Haris Rauf.
That introduced Suryakumar Yadav, arguably the perfect T20 batsman on the earth, to the crease however he solely lasted eight balls, caught behind for a whirlwind 16 off Rauf because the Pakistan followers roared in celebration.
When Patel was run out within the subsequent over, India have been reeling at 31-4.
Kohli began slowly however lastly discovered his groove and with Pandya began launching a fightback, hitting three sixes in a single over off Nawaz.
They nonetheless wanted 60 runs with 5 overs remaining. With 28 wanted off eight balls Kohli smashed two sixes off Haris Rauf to depart 16 from the ultimate over.
In a chaotic, breathless last over, Kohli hit one other six off a no-ball, then ran three after being bowled off the next free hit.
With two runs wanted Dinesh Karthik was stumped down the leg facet, a large then levelled the scores and Ashwin hit the successful run off the ultimate ball.
Source link
