Sahibzada Farhan made India pay for multiple dropped catches as his 58 set the innings up nicely at the top of the order.Sahibzada Farhan looked determined after getting a reprieve in the first over and targeted Indian bowlers especially Bumrah and it went a long way for Pakistan to get to 171/5 in 20 overs. They could have gotten to 180+ but India pegged things back a bit in the middle and end overs.
For India, Shivam Dube bowled well for his 2 wickets while Varun Chakaravarthy kept things tight despite going wicketless. Jasprit Bumrah had a rare off day and went for 45 in 4 overs and went wicketless as well. Pakistan have got a competitive score on the board and India has to bat well to get over the line.
Sahibzada Farhan gives Pakistan a rollicking start after India drops multiple catches inside the powerplay
Put into bat first, Pakistan changed their opening combination as Sahibzada Farhan opened the batting with Fakhar Zaman while Hardik Pandya had the ball in hand for India. Farhan got a reprieve early on as Abhishek Sharma judged the ball late and was late to start off and so he dropped the catch when the batter was on 0 and the score as well. Jasprit Bumrah got the ball from the other end. Fakhar Zaman showed his intentions clear as he clipped it to deep backward square leg for a boundary. Zaman next drilled Bumrah down the ground for a boundary.
Fakhar hit Pandya for a boundary off the back foot through the off-side. But Hardik struck for India dismissing Fakhar for 15 off 9 balls with 3 fours to his name under controversial circumstances. Hardik bowled a full delivery outside off-stump angling across. Fakhar went forward and pushed at it with hard hands in front of his pads. He got an outside edge to Sanju Samson and looked like it had carried to the keeper. The TV umpire was called in and it was not sure whether the ball carried to Samson. But the TV umpire was satisfied and gave it in favour of the bowling team. Fakhar was livid as he walked back. Saim Ayub came out to bat next.
Ayub hit Hardik for a boundary by pulling away to deep square leg to get off the mark. Farhan took the attack to Bumrah as he pulled it to deep square leg region for a boundary. Farhan then hit a high full toss from Bumrah to the mid-on region for a boundary. No ball was called for the height as the free hit yielded a single only.
Varun Chakaravarthy came into the attack inside the powerplay. He should have had Saim Ayub but Kuldeep Yadav at short fine leg settled underneath it and dropped the catch as India were shoddy in the field to say the least. Farhan then got an outside edge that went away to the third man fence for a boundary. Bumrah continued for his third over and last of the powerplay. Farhan heaved it away through mid-on for a boundary. The 50 came up for Pakistan in 5.5 overs. Then Farhan hit Bumrah for a boundary as he lofted it over mid-off to end the over and powerplay. Pakistan were well-placed at 55/1 in 6 overs at the end of powerplay.
Sahibzada Farhan’s half-century drives Pakistan forward; India hit back with 3 quick wickets
Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack post the powerplay. He bowled a decent first over. Varun Chakaravarthy changed ends. Farhan took Varun on as he danced down the track and thumped it over wide long-on. Abhishek got a hand to it but the ball went over him for the maximum. Saim Ayub then took Kuldeep on and launched him over long-on down the ground for the maximum. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Farhan then launched Kuldeep over wide long-on for the maximum.
Farhan survived a stumping chance as the foot was always inside his crease. Axar Patel came into the attack. Farhan took him on as he rocked back on the back foot and pulled it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Farhan brought up his fifty in 34 balls. This was his 4th T20I fifty. At the end of 10 overs, Pakistan were well-placed at 91/1 at the halfway stage of the innings as the players took the Drinks Break.
Shivam Dube came into the attack post the Drinks Break. Dube struck for India as he got rid of Saim Ayub for 21 off 17 balls with a boundary and maximum to his name. Dube bowled a short of a length on the leg and middle stump. Ayub is cramped for room as he looked to whip across the line as he tried to play the pick up stroke lifting his front leg and got a top edge. The ball went towards deep backward square leg. Abhishek charged in and dived full length to take the catch. Hussain Talat came out to bat next. He got off the mark with a brace. Dube bowled a no ball and the free hit yielded 0 runs.
Varun continued as the 100 came up for Pakistan in 11.2 overs. Dube continued and bowled a decent over. Kuldeep Yadav then came back and got rid of Hussain Talat for 10 off 11 balls. He bowled from over the wicket full around the off-stump line googly. Talat went down on one knee and went for a reverse sweep but managed a top edge to short third man. Varun took the catch and is animated after taking the catch. Mohammad Nawaz came out to bat next.
He got off the mark soon. Dube got another wicket as he got rid of Farhan for a well made 58 off 45 balls with 5 fours and 3 sixes to his name. Dube from over the wicket bowled an off-cutter which was a good length delivery outside off-stump. Farhan had to reach out for it and threw his hands at it and lost the control of the bat and the shot. The bat flies across to square leg after getting hit on the toe end as Farhan gave a kitchen sink to it. It shot up towards right of extra cover where SKY moved across from extra cover and took an easy catch. Captain Salman Ali Agha came out to bat next.
He got off the mark straightaway. Runs came in singles in the remainder of the over. After 15 overs, Pakistan were 119/4 as India pulled things back in this middle phase of the game to leave the game evenly poised.
Late flourish takes Pakistan to a competitive 171/5 in 20 overs.Â
Varun Chakaravarthy continued and bowled a miserly over to complete his spell. Kuldeep Yadav returned and was welcomed with a maximum from Agha as he launched the googly over long-off for the maximum. Then Kuldeep forced Surya to go for DRS against Salman Ali Agha as India burnt a review for the ball pitching outside the leg stump. Kuldeep finally finished his spell.
Nawaz then hit Dube for the maximum over the midwicket region. Nawaz then got a streaky boundary away off Dube. Dube finished his spell in the end with decent figures. Bumrah returned to the bowling crease. Lack of game awareness meant Nawaz was run out at the striker’s end for 21 off 19 balls with one four and one six to his name. Faheem Ashraf came out to bat next. He got off the mark with the maximum over deep midwicket before another dropped catch happened with Shubman Gill the Prince of Indian cricket putting down a sitter. Bumrah ended a very expensive night for him.
Pandya came to bowl the final over of the innings as Faheem hit him for a boundary by a top edge over the keeper’s head. The final ball of the innings was hit for a maximum over Dube at deep backward point to end the innings as Dube couldn’t pull off a stunner. Pakistan ended with 171/5 in 20 overs with Salman unbeaten on 17 off 13 balls with a maximum to his name while Ashraf remained unbeaten on 20 off 8 balls with 1 four and 2 sixes to his name. 9 extras given by the fielding side.
For India, Hardik Pandya finished with 1/29 in 3 overs. Jasprit Bumrah had a night to forget as he finished with 0/45 in 4 overs. Varun Chakaravarthy finished with 0/25 in 4 overs. Kuldeep Yadav finished with 1/31 in 4 overs. Axar Patel bowled an over for 8 runs. Shivam Dube finished with 2/33 in 4 overs. It means that India needs 172 runs to win to start their Super 4 campaign on a winning note.
What Lies Ahead
It’s been an improved batting display by Pakistan and they have got the runs on the board here. It could have been worse, but India pulled it back a little bit in the middle and back phase as well to keep Pakistan down under 180. 171/5 is a competitive score. India has the batting to chase it down for sure. Pakistan has variety in bowling to defend this as well. We could be in for a thriller.
Do stay tuned and find out who wins this thriller of a match as it is turning out to be. Can the Men in Blue chase it down? Or will the Men in Green upset the apple cards? We shall find out the answer soon.
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