A classical inning by Virat Kohli, unbeaten on 82 off 53 balls has turned the table in India’s favor that led to a sensational win over Pakistan in the last bowl of the inning, having 4 wickets in hand. However, it was R Ashwin who hit the last ball over the in-field with India needing just 1 run from the last ball to take the team over the victory line. And Rohit Sharma could not contain his emotions and joy which is visible in his eye (Enjoy the Video).
India-Pakistan cricket matches are not for the faint-hearted people. It is not just the players’ talent but disposition also plays an important factor in the result. At the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), India led by Rohit Sharma was up against Pakistan led by Babar Azam in their Super 12 match on 23rd October 2022.
Another high-voltage clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan took place, this time in the ICC T20 World Cup, almost two months after they squared off in the Asia Cup.
Match Info
Event: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022
Toss: Won by India and chose to bowl
Venue: MCG, Melbourne (Australia)
Umpires: Marais Erasmus, Rod Tucker
Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle
Player Of the match: Virat Kohli
Final Score: India (160/6 – 20 overs) and Pakistan (159/8 – 20 overs)
Indian Squad
Rohit Sharma(C), Dinesh Karthik (Wk), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh.
Bench: Rishabh Pant, Harshal Patel, Deepak Hooda, Yuzvendra Chahal
Pakistan Squad
Babar Azam(C), Mohammad Rizwan (Wk), Shan Masood, Shadab Khan, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Asif Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.
Bench: Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Hasnain, Fakhar Zaman
Match Highlight
It’s a tightly packed MCG as the crowd is on its feet for the national anthems. Soon after the anthems were over, the Indian players assembled in a huddle, and the two Pakistan openers batsman walk out in the middle. The pressure is going to be tremendous on both teams and undoubtedly a high-octane contest is expected. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is to begin proceedings with a couple of slips in place.
Here we go!
Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed got their half-century, India struggled hard with wickets through the middle but conceded 53runs in the last five overs to let Pakistan post a target of 159 for 8 wickets. At one point in time, Pakistan was looking at a subtotal of 140 runs which seems to be enough for a win here.
There is exceptional bowling pressure from India. Soon after Hardik knocked down the middle-order, Arshdeep went on to pick out the dangerous Asif Ali to complete the breakdown.
Good start for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Some swings can be seen too. In the first six balls or 1st over – the account opened with a wide & not a run from the bat.
Finally, Pakistan has set India a target of 160 runs in 20 overs.
Interesting Stat: In the last six Ind vs Pak T20 matches, all have been won by the side chasing with captains winning the toss and opting to field first each time. India won four times and Pakistan twice.
MCG: A Historical Ground For Both India & Pakistan
There is a small bit of history at the MCG for both teams. In 1985, the Indian team was reinstated as they were the new blue-eyed boys of cricket when they won the World Championship of Cricket undefeated at the MCG.
At the same MCG, in 1992 Pakistan had their greatest moment in cricket when they won the World Cup.
All eyes of both nations are on this match as a lot is at stake as they look forward to kickstart their World Cup campaign at the iconic MCG on Sunday.
About ICC T20 World Cup 2022
This year’s T20 World Cup is the seventh iteration. The first one took place in South Africa back in 2007, and India’s success there is credited with sparking the current franchise cricket phenomenon. A few athletes from that competition, like Sean Williams, Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma, Shakib Al Hasan, and others, are also competing in this one fifteen years later. Since India last held the trophy in 2007, it has passed via Pakistan (2009), England (2010), the West Indies (2012 and 2016), Sri Lanka (2014), and currently Australia, the reigning champions (2021).
