Shadab Khan and his men failed to grab a win against Lahore Qalandars, who finally managed to get a win this season. Having won the toss, Shadab Khan decided to field first, and they did get off to a good start.
However, some fireworks from Rassie van der Dussen and Shaheen Afridi guided Lahore Qalandars to a total of 162, which they successfully defended.
On that note, let us look at why Islamabad United lost the match against Lahore Qalandars:
(1)Shadab Khan’s bowlers failing to capitalize on the start provided by the pacers
The Shadab Khan-led side got off to a dream start with Naseem Shah bowling a maiden over first up. In what was an unplayable spell of pace bowling that made Sahibzada Farhan dance on the pitch, Naseem Shah gave away just 5 runs in the two overs that he bowled in the powerplay; 4 of those coming from overthrows.
He was well supported by Rumman Raees, and his brother, Hunain Shah. The trio allowed Lahore Qalandars to score just 26 runs in the powerplay.
Despite having the momentum on their side, the Islamabad United bowlers ended up conceding 162 in 20 overs, which was a mammoth total considering the position the Lahore Qalandars were in after the 6-over mark.
In the last 5 overs of the innings, a total of 64 runs were scored, and the Islamabad United bowlers well and truly failed to cash in on the kind of start Naseem Shah and co. provided them with.
With 162 on the board, the then winless Lahore Qalandars got to a total that gave their bowlers something to bowl at.
(2)A horrid batting performance
Having reached that phase of the tournament where every single game could potentially affect one’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs, it was a very vital game for Islamabad United in the context of the tournament’s standings. On paper, a target of 163 may not have seemed as much, but once the proceedings began, the Islamabad United batters fell like nine pins.
Wickets kept tumbling and within no time, more than half of the Islamabad United batters were back in the hut.
Shadab Khan’s side found themselves in a horrendous position, having lost six wickets within the first 7 overs, with just 38 runs on the board. Losing a couple of wickets early on is quite normal, considering the batters try to make full use of the field restrictions in the powerplay. However, there is simply no justification for what unfolded last night.
Shadab Khan got out to an almost unplayable slow yorker from Zaman Khan, while Alex Hales was a victim of some splendid catching from Jahandad Khan. The others, though, threw their wickets away. Agha Salman’s dismissal was a soft one, while Colin Munro was run out in an attempt to get a needless and tight third run.
Jordan Cox was dismissed trying to play an ugly heave across the line, while Imad Wasim was lured into a drive and he failed to fight the temptation. The shot selection under pressure was below par, and Islamabad United would want that to improve very quickly.
(3)Late acceleration from Faheem Ashraf
The nature of T20 cricket is such that even after losing six wickets for just 38 runs, the Islamabad United were never completely out of the game.
Two very handy cameos from Azam Khan and Naseem Shah provided Shadab Khan’s side with a glimmer of hope, with the two adding 29 and 27 runs respectively. All this while, it was Faheem Ashraf who held the other end. His plan was clear, and it was to take the game as deep as possible.
There is nothing wrong with having trust in your ability to finish a game off after taking it to the last few overs, but Faheem Ashraf probably overdid it. At one stage, the all-rounder had scored 21 runs off 24 balls. That is the equivalent of playing four overs while striking at just a little over 5 runs per over.
Although the batters at the other end were playing the aggressor, maybe Faheem Ashraf could have tried to accelerate a bit earlier. By the time he decided to go after the bowlers, Islamabad United were already 9 down, and it was perhaps too late.
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