India Vs Pakistan🏏: Diwali Blockbuster !!!

Not for the first time – and unlikely to be the last – former skipper Virat Kohli turned back the clock with a brilliant individual knock of 82 from just 53 deliveries that saved the day for India. Kohli came to the crease in the second over when KL Rahul (4) was undone by Naseem Shah (1/23) and things looked forlorn for India when a fired-up Haris Rauf (2/36) reduced them to 31/3 after the batting Powerplay. But Kohli kept his nerve and, just like he has done so many times previously, expertly guided India home in front of a crowd in excess of 90,000 at the MCG in Melbourne.

Final over thriller has packed crowd on the edge of their seats!!!

India never looked like winning it, but with Kohli and Hardik Pandya at the crease there was always an outside chance they could pull a rabbit out of the hat. There was 31runs needed from the last two overs and Kohli hit Rauf for two massive sixes on the final two deliveries of the penultimate over to make the equation 16 from the final six balls.

Still there was more drama.

Pandya fell on the first delivery of the final over, before Kohli put Mohammad Nawaz into the stands off a waist high full toss to make it six runs required from the final three deliveries to pull off the unlikely win. Kohli was bowled on the ensuing delivery, but given it was a free hit India scrambled three byes to leave them in the box seat with just two needed from the final two balls.

Karthik was stumped on the second last delivery to give Pakistan hope, but Ravi Ashwin came to the crease to hit the winning run from the final ball of the match to clinch a thriller for India.

Lack of bowling options costly for Pakistan

The lack of a decent fourth seamer proved costly for Pakistan, with India targeting Nawaz during his spell while keeping their pacers at bay. It was Shaheen Afridi that did the damage with the ball in Dubai last year, but this time around it was his fellow quicks as Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah broke through India’s top-order. I felt that lack of bowling option for Pakistan and Virat Kohli’s epic innings helped the team to win a thriller !!!

Pakistan’s pace trio bowled with sheer pace to reduce India to just 31/3 from their batting Powerplay and there was more carnage on the first ball of the seventh over when Axar Patel – promoted to No.5 in the batting line-up – was run out attempting a run that wasn’t there. But Kohli and Pandya timed their run perfectly to guide Rohit Sharma’s side home in a thrilling encounter in Melbourne. These kind of matches are one kind of century matches for all the fans. I literally got Goosebumps while watching India’s innings after they had lost their 4 wickets in 31 runs.

Babar-Rizwan🏏duo failed against India

The star duo couldn’t get going against India in one of the epic thrillers of T20 World Cup 2022. These two batsman had batted brilliantly against India in the T20 World Cup 2021. Pakistan heavily depends on these two batsman as 50% runs are scored by their openers most by any team. Rizwan is in spectacular form and is currently leading the ranking of best t20 batsman. Shaan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed played a vital knock for Pakistan and helped them get a respectable total against India. Haider Ali and Asif Ali both got out cheaply.

Virat Kohli had played one of the best innings of his career against Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2022. India would surely get qualify from this group the other team would be South Africa or Pakistan. Other teams could also qualify but these teams have a higher rate of getting qualified in the Semi-finals.

What a finish, what a match, what a sport. Oh, how lucky are we to have witnessed that. Ashwin drives the last ball over mid-off calmly as the Indian players and fans go wild. Kohli is emotional, he has played one of the greatest knocks of his great career. He remains unbeaten on 82 off 53 balls. irat Kohli does it again, the chase master wins the match for India. One of the best knocks of his illustrious career.

He has shut down all his critics who had doubts over his place on the T20I side. Meanwhile, Nawaz dismissed Hardik Pandya on the first ball but the no-ball changed the script completely. Pakistani fans are saying that the Umpire gave the wrong decision that it was a no-ball. Babar Azam also had a fallout with the Umpires as when Virat Kohli got bowled in the Free-hit delivery, they ran three runs. I feel that the team could run as in the free-hit you could only be run-out. This victory is the Revenge for T20 World Cup 2021 loss !!!