Pakistan overcame odds, bad starts in each innings as well as late drama to beat India by five wickets in their Super Four match of the Asia Cup 2022 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Set a target of a more than a sizable 182, Pakistan lost their captain Babar Azam early and Fakhar Zaman couldn’t do much either. With both men back in the dugout and the chase going awry fast, Babar put his thinking hat on played the masterstroke of promoting Mohammad Nawaz up the order.
Nawaz and Rizwan formed a crucial 73-run partnership for the third wicket that brought Pakistan back in the game. Nawaz’s boundary-laden 42 off 20 was pivotal as it helped Pakistan keep the required run rate in check.
That said, the importance of Rizwan’s 71 off 51 cannot be understated. But the diminutive keeper-batter couldn’t finish and it needed late cameos from Khushdil Shah (14* off 11) and Asif Ali (16 off 8) for Pakistan to seal the match. The end wasn’t without its drama as Arshdeep Singh dropped the simplest of catches of Asif to earn Sharma’s wrath.
Earlier, the Green Shirts had a great start to the evening as they won the battle of coin flips but everything went south for them for a while after that.
Indian openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma set the tone for the night with a blistering 28 (each) a laid a foundation on which Virat Kohli, well and truly back in form, capitalised to help India post 181 for 7.
End of live thread
Pakistan have won by five wickets.
182-5 after 19.5 overs: Singh to Iftikhar, 2 runs.
180-5 after 19.4 overs: Singh to Asif, OUT.
180-4 after 19.3 overs: Singh to Asif, no run.
180-4 after 19.2 overs: Singh to Asif, 4 runs.
176-4 after 19.1 overs: Singh to Khushdil, 1 run.
Asif Ali 12 (5), Khushdil Shah 13 (10)
175-4 after 19 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Asif, 4 runs.
171-4 after 18.5 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Khushdil, 1 run.
170-4 after 18.4 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Khushdil, 4 runs.
166-4 after 18.3 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Asif, 1 run.
165-4 after 18.3 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Asif, 1 run wide.
164-4 after 18.2 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Asif, 6 runs.
158-4 after 18.1 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Khushdil, 1 run.
157-4 after 18.1 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Khushdil, 1 run wide.
Khushdil Shah 7 (7), Asif Ali 1 (2)
156-4 after 18 overs: Bishnoi to Khushdil, 1 run.
155-4 after 17.5 overs: Bishnoi to Khushdil, 2 runs.
153-4 after 17.4 overs: Bishnoi to Asif, 1 run.
152-4 after 17.4 overs: Bishnoi to Asif, 1 run wide.
151-4 after 17.3 overs: Bishnoi to Asif, no run.
151-4 after 17.3 overs: Bishnoi to Asif, 1 run wide.
150-4 after 17.2 overs: Bishnoi to Khushdil, 1 run.
149-4 after 17.1 overs: Bishnoi to Khushdil, no run.
149-4 after 17.1 overs: Bishnoi to Khushdil, 1 run wide.
Khushdil Shah 3 (3), Asif Ali 0 (0)
148-4 after 17 overs: Hardik to Khushdil, 1 run.
147-4 after 16.5 overs: Hardik to Rizwan (71), OUT CAUGHT.
147-3 after 16.5 overs: Hardik to Rizwan, 1 run wide.
146-3 after 16.4 overs: Hardik to Rizwan, no run.
146-3 after 16.3 overs: Hardik to Rizwan, 2 runs.
144-3 after 16.2 overs: Hardik to Rizwan, 4 runs.
140-3 after 16.1 overs: Hardik to Khushdil, 1 run.
Mohammad Rizwan 65 (47), Khushdil Shah 1 (1)
139-3 after 16 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Rizwan, 2 runs.
137-3 after 15.5 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Rizwan, no run.
137-3 after 15.4 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Khushdil, 1 run.
136-3 after 15.3 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Nawaz (42), OUT CAUGHT.
136-2 after 15.2 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Nawaz, no run.
136-2 after 15.1 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Rizwan, 1 run.
Mohammad Rizwan 62 (44), Mohammad Nawaz 42 (18)
135-2 after 15 overs: Chahal to Rizwan, 1 run.
134-2 after 14.5 overs: Chahal to Rizwan, 2 runs.
132-2 after 14.4 overs: Chahal to Rizwan, 4 runs.
128-2 after 14.3 overs: Chahal to Nawaz, 1 run.
127-2 after 14.2 overs: Chahal to Nawaz, 4 runs.
123-2 after 14.1 overs: Chahal to Nawaz, 4 runs.
Mohammad Nawaz 33 (15), Mohammad Rizwan 55 (41)
119-2 after 14 overs: Hardik to Nawaz, 1 run.
118-2 after 13.5 overs: Hardik to Nawaz, 4 runs.
114-2 after 13.4 overs: Hardik to Nawaz, no run.
114-2 after 13.3 overs: Hardik to Nawaz, 4 runs.
110-2 after 13.2 overs: Hardik to Rizwan, 1 run.
109-2 after 13.1 overs: Hardik to Rizwan, 2 runs.
Mohammad Rizwan 52 (39), Mohammad Nawaz 24 (11)
107-2 after 13 overs: Singh to Rizwan, 1 run.
106-2 after 12.5 overs: Singh to Nawaz, 1 run.
105-2 after 12.4 overs: Singh to Nawaz, 4 runs.
101-2 after 12.3 overs: Singh to Rizwan, 1 run.
100-2 after 12.2 overs: Singh to Rizwan, 2 runs.
98-2 after 12.1 overs: Singh to Rizwan, 2 runs.
Mohammad Rizwan 46 (35), Mohammad Nawaz 20 (9)
96-2 after 12 overs: Bishnoi to Rizwan, 1 run.
95-2 after 11.5 overs: Bishnoi to Rizwan, no run.
95-2 after 11.4 overs: Bishnoi to Nawaz, 1 run.
94-2 after 11.3 overs: Bishnoi to Nawaz, 6 runs.
88-2 after 11.2 overs: Bishnoi to Rizwan, 1 run.
87-2 after 11.1 overs: Bishnoi to Nawaz, 1 run.
Mohammad Rizwan 44 (32), Mohammad Nawaz 12 (6)
86-2 after 11 overs: Chahal to Rizwan, no run.
86-2 after 10.5 overs: Chahal to Rizwan, 2 runs.
84-2 after 10.4 overs: Chahal to Nawaz, 1 run.
83-2 after 10.3 overs: Chahal to Rizwan, 1 run.
82-2 after 10.2 overs: Chahal to Rizwan, no run.
82-2 after 10.1 overs: Chahal to Rizwan, 6 runs.
Mohammad Rizwan 35 (27), Mohammad Nawaz 11 (5)
Comment: At the halfway mark, India clearly have the upper hand and then some. Pakistan have wickets in hand but runs are hard to come by as reflected in the required run rate that has soared to 10.6 an over.
76-2 after 10 overs: Hardik to Rizwan, 1 run.
75-2 after 9.5 overs: Hardik to Rizwan, no run.
75-2 after 9.4 overs: Hardik to Nawaz, 1 run.
74-2 after 9.3 overs: Hardik to Nawaz, no run.
74-2 after 9.2 overs: Hardik to Nawaz, 6 runs.
68-2 after 9.1 overs: Hardik to Rizwan, 1 run.
Mohammad Nawaz 4 (2), Mohammad Rizwan 33 (24)
67-2 after 9 overs: Chahal to Nawaz, 4 runs.
63-2 after 8.5 overs: Chahal to Nawaz, no run.
63-2 after 8.4 overs: Chahal to Zaman (15), OUT CAUGHT.
63-1 after 8.3 overs: Chahal to Zaman, 4 runs.
59-1 after 8.2 overs: Chahal to Rizwan, 1 run.
58-1 after 8.1 overs: Chahal to Zaman, 1 run.
Fakhar Zaman 10 (15), Mohammad Rizwan 32 (23)
57-1 after 8 overs: Bishnoi to Zaman, 1 run.
56-1 after 7.5 overs: Bishnoi to Rizwan, 1 run.
55-1 after 7.4 overs: Bishnoi to Zaman, 1 run.
54-1 after 7.3 overs: Bishnoi to Rizwan, 1 run.
53-1 after 7.2 overs: Bishnoi to Zaman, 1 run.
52-1 after 7.1 overs: Bishnoi to Rizwan, 1 run.
Fakhar Zaman 7 (12), Mohammad Rizwan 30 (20)
51-1 after 7 overs: Chahal to Zaman, no run.
51-1 after 6.5 overs: Chahal to Rizwan, 1 run.
50-1 after 6.4 overs: Chahal to Rizwan, 4 runs.
46-1 after 6.3 overs: Chahal to Zaman, 1 run.
45-1 after 6.2 overs: Chahal to Zaman, no run.
45-1 after 6.1 overs: Chahal to Rizwan, 1 run.
Fakhar Zaman 6 (9), Mohammad Rizwan 24 (17)
44-1 after 6 overs: Singh to Zaman, no run.
44-1 after 5.5 overs: Singh to Zaman, no run.
44-1 after 5.4 overs: Singh to Rizwan, 1 run.
43-1 after 5.3 overs: Singh to Rizwan, 6 runs.
37-1 after 5.2 overs: Singh to Zaman, 1 run.
36-1 after 5.1 overs: Singh to Zaman, no run.
Mohammad Rizwan 17 (15), Fakhar Zaman 5 (5)
Comment: Decent over for Pakistan and it was much needed as three boundaries are hit off of Pandya’s six-ball set.
36-1 after 5 overs: Hardik to Rizwan, 4 runs.
32-1 after 4.5 overs: Hardik to Zaman, 1 run.
31-1 after 4.4 overs: Hardik to Zaman, 4 runs.
27-1 after 4.3 overs: Hardik to Zaman, no run.
27-1 after 4.2 overs: Hardik to Rizwan, 1 run.
26-1 after 4.1 overs: Hardik to Rizwan, 4 runs.
Fakhar Zaman 0 (2), Mohammad Rizwan 8 (12)
22-1 after 4 overs: Bishnoi to Zaman, no run.
22-1 after 3.5 overs: Bishnoi to Zaman, no run.
