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Like any other India vs Pakistan game, this fixture will be immensely significant from the emotional perspective, but as we witnessed last year, today’s outcome is also expected to have a say in the semi-final lineup of the competition, given its cut-throat nature.
Understandably, both sides will look to put their best foot forward at a jam-packed MCG, where every wicket, boundary, fielding effort and all of the minute details of the match will be cheered by many, and jeered by some.
On paper, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 started more than a week ago – on 16th October. The teams that featured over the past week did their very best to glorify the competition by bringing top-quality cricket to the table, but for two enormous fanbases, the competition will only get underway today – 23rd October.
The date had been marked on innumerable calendars ever since the schedule for the tournament was announced, as neighbours India and Pakistan are all set to clash at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, in front of expectedly 90,000+ fans.
India’s record against Pakistan in this particular competition is impressive. They have won five of the six meetings previously, and across all competitions in this format, the men in blue enjoy an 8-3 lead.
Yet, the recent results tip the scales in Pakistan’s favour. Babar Azam’s team were flawless in this very fixture last year – handing India a 10-wicket defeat, while they also won their last T20I meeting against Rohit Sharma’s boys, which was at the Asia Cup.
Until about a week ago, it seemed the game was heading towards a washout, with an 80% chance of rain during the match. However, as if the cricket gods held a fruitful emergency meeting with heaven’s weather department, the chances of rain have miraculously diminished.
On what will be a cold day in Melbourne, the precipitation chances are only 12% during evening, and the cricket enthusiasts can be optimistic about being treated with full 40 overs of enthralling action. Though it is expected to rain overnight, the match should get over at 11pm local time.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has won the flip of the coin, and India will be bowling first in this epic encounter.
The decision is not surprising at all, as all of the last five completed T20I matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground were won by teams bowling first. Moreover, the slightly overcast conditions could be of immense help for the Indian pacers.
"It is always nice to bowl with overcast conditions. I think the ball will swing around a bit, and we need to take its advantage," Rohit Sharma said after the toss.
India have selected two spinners and three frontline pacers in their team. Mohammed Shami has been selected ahead of Harshal Patel, while Ravichandran Ashwin has been preferred ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal.
As for Pakistan, skipper Babar Azam has stuck with the spin pairing of Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan, but their trump card will be the pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah.
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh.
Pakistan Playing XI: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shan Masood, Haider Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah.
Excellent first over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar - only one wide from it. Mohammad Rizwan copped a blow on his thumb in the second delivery, but he is carrying on after receiving treatment.
This is absolutely a dream start for India. Arshdeep Singh traps the opposition's skipper, Babar Azam, leg before wicket in the first delivery of the second over.
Azam departed for a golden duck, while Shan Masood also almost lost his wicket in the same over, but Virat Kohli missed a run out opportunity. At the end of 2 overs, Pakistan are 6/1.
Yet another fantastic over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Only four runs come from it, including a shout for leg before wicket. At the end of three overs, Pakistan are 10/1.
Scintillating stuff from the young left-arm seamer, Arshdeep Singh, as after dismissing Babar Azam, he has now got the crucial wicket of Mohammad Rizwan.
With the scoreboard pressure mounting on the green shirts, Rizwan decided to let go of the shackles by playing a pull shot in the last delivery of the fourth over, but he ended up giving a simple catch to Bhuvneshwar Kumar at fine leg.
After four overs of immense pressure, the Pakistani batters finally managed to dictate the play on their own terms, as Iftikhar Ahmed and Shan Masood scored 9 runs in Bhuvneshwar Kumar's third over. At the end of five overs, India are 24/2.
Mohammed Shami was called into the attack to bowl the last over of the powerplay, and the experienced speedster conceded eight runs. At the end of six overs, Pakistan are 32/2.
The momentum is slowly shifting here at the MCG. Hardik Pandya bowled the seventh over of the match and conceded nine runs, with Shan Masood scoring a boundary in the last ball.
Pakistan are 41/2 after 7 overs.
Shan Masood survives, but only by the skin of his teeth. Like Rizwan's dismissal, his attempted pull shot caught the edge and flew towards fine leg, but Ravichandran Ashwin could grab the ball only after it hit the ground.
Pakistan are 44/2 after 8 overs.
Ravichandran Ashwin's fielding effort in the last over might not have been impressive, but his first over certainly was. Only six runs come from it as Pakistan are now 50/2 after nine overs.
Hardik Pandya is perhaps the only Indian bowler who has not been very convincing today. The all-rounder concedes 10 runs in his second over, as after the end of 10 overs, the green shirts are 60/2.
The Pakistani batters are getting a move on here. Iftikhar Ahmed smashes a huge six off Ravichandran Ashwin's bowling, as the latter conceded 10 runs in his second over.
At the end of 11 overs, Pakistan are 70/2.
Iftikhar Ahmed has changed the complexion of the game in only one over. Axar Patel, who came to bowl the 12th over, was greeted with three sixes as the veteran batter brings up his half-century.
Brilliant captaincy and brilliant bowling from the Indian team. With Iftikhar Ahmed going all guns blazing against the spinners, Rohit Sharma brought back Mohammed Shami into the attack, who caught the batter leg before wicket.
After 13 overs, Pakistan are 96/3.
Shadab Khan was promoted to number five to play a quickfire cameo, but Hardik Pandya did not allow him to do so. The Pakistani all-rounder attempted a big hit, but could only find Suryakumar Yadav at long-on.
In the last ball of the over, Haider Ali also lost his wicket in a similar fashion - going for a glory hit but giving a catch to Yadav. Pakistan are 98/5 after 14 overs.
Ravichandran Ashwin was called back to bowl his third over, and he could have dismissed both Shan Masood if only fortune was on his side. The left-handed batter's miscued attempt struck the spider cam cable, before a catch was dropped by Ashwin.
Pakistan are 106/5 after 15 overs.
Hardik Pandya has done a commendable job with the ball today, as he added a third wicket to his name in his third over. Mohammad Nawaz, who was looking in good touch, edged the ball straight to Dinesh Karthik's gloves in an attempt to play the late cut.
Pakistan are 116/6 after 16 overs.
What a day Arshdeep Singh is having at the MCG! Having set the tone for India early on, he was called back to bowl the first of his two overs reserved for the death, and the youngster showed his class once again by dismissing Pakistan's power-hitter, Asif Ali.
9 runs came from the 17th over, taking Pakistan's score to 125/7.
Shan Masood came to bat what seems like ages ago, but he is still out there, taking his team closer to the 150-run mark. Courtesy of his two boundaries off Mohammed Shami's last over, Pakistan are 135/7 after 18 overs.
India must have strategized to nullify the threat of Shaheen Afridi the bowler, but Shaheen Afridi the batter has taken everyone by surprise. 14 runs come from Arshdeep Singh's last over, owing to a massive six and a four from Afridi.
Pakistan are 149/7 with the last over remaining.
Though Bhuvneshwar Kumar started the last over on a positive note - by taking Shaheen Afridi's wicket, the green shirts have still scored 10 runs from the over, thanks to a Haris Rauf six and a poor fielding effort.
Pakistan finish their innings on 159/8, and India will need 160 runs to win. Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed's half-centuries could prove to be match-saving knocks, while from the Indian perspective, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya were the pick of the bowlers.
After a commendable cameo with the bat, Shaheen Afridi has had a decent start with the ball. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul score five runs from the first over.
Just like India, Pakistan have had a fantastic start with the ball. Trying to tackle Naseem Shah's brute pace, KL Rahul jabbed the ball straight onto the stumps. Unlucky dismissal for India, but the opposition camp will not mind as they erupt in jubiliation.
India are 7/1 after 2 overs.
Shaheen Afridi's pace has taken a dip since his comeback from injury. He is now bowling in 130s (kmph), but still has the ability to bowl the perfect line and length.
Only three runs come from the third over. India are 10/1.
Indian fans might be having déjà vu here, as like last year's contest, both openers have dismissed early. In only his first over, Haris Rauf has scalped the wicket of Rohit Sharma, as the Indian skipper edged his delivery to Iftikhar Ahmed at first slip.
India are 17/2 after 4 overs.
Suryakumar Yadav, who has been India's most consistent batter in T20Is since his debut, will need to play yet another game-defining knock today. So far, he has looked in good touch.
India are 22/2 after five overs.
Commentator's curse might have struck here at the G, as just as when we were praising Suryakumar Yadav, he loses his wicket. The Mumbai-born batted edged a Haris Rauf delivery straight to the gloves of Mohammad Rizwan.
India are 31/3 at the end of powerplay.
The men in blue are in deep trouble here as yet another wicket falls. India's punt with Axar Patel as the number five batter will not prove to be fruitful, as a mix-up has got him run out.
India are 33/4 at the end of 7 overs.
Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli, the two Indian batters out on the crease currently, are dealing solely in singles, and unsurprisingly so. Only five runs come from Mohammad Nawaz's first over, taking India's score to 38/4 after 8 overs.
The pressure of required run rate keeps on mounting, but for now, Kohli and Pandya are happy with singles. Only three runs come from Shadab Khan's second over.
India are 41/4 after 9 overs.
India might need to get a move on now, as the required run rate is almost 12. Mohammad Nawaz concedes only two singles and a two in his second over, as India are 45/4 at the end of 10 overs.
Not that Rahul Dravid had a microphone while giving instructions to Hardik Pandya during the drinks break, but one could guess the message was simple - get a move on.
Nine runs come from Shadab Khan's third over, taking India's score to 54/4 after 11 overs.
The momentum has shifted, the scales have changed and the game has turned on its head. Mohammed Nawaz conceded 20 runs in his third over, as India are now 74/4 at the end of 12 overs.
Babar Azam called back Shaheen Afridi after Nawaz's expensive over, and although the speedster was not particularly economical, he did well to concede less than 10 runs in his over.
India are 83/4 after 13 overs.
Shadab Khan completes his spell brilliantly - conceding only 7 runs at a time both Kohli and Pandya are looking in sublime touch. At the end of 14 overs, India are 90/4.
India have scored 100 runs at the end of 15 overs, and given that they were once reeling at 31/4, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya deserve credit for their incredible partnership.
The men in blue will need to score 60 runs from their last five overs.
Haris Rauf has been the standout bowler for Pakistan today, and he has bowled yet another fantastic over. Only six runs came off the 16th over of the match, as India now need 54 runs from the last 4 overs.
Haris Rauf needed a bowler to back his brilliant 16th over, and Naseem Shah has done exactly that, as the youngster conceded only 6 runs in his last over.
India now need 48 runs from the last three overs.
This game is proving to be a roller-coaster ride, as the momentum has swung once again in India's favour. Virat Kohli goes all guns blazing in Shaheen Afridi's last over, as India accumulate 17 runs from the 18th over.
The men in blue are 31 runs away from the target, with two overs remaining.
Babar Azam brought back his best bowler of the day, Haris Rauf, to bowl the penultimate over of the match. However, Virat Kohli is not discriminating among bowlers currently - he is dispatching everyone to the stands.
15 runs come from the 19th over. India now need 16 runs in the last over.
That's it! What an end to the match, as India beat Pakistan by 4 wickets.
16 runs were needed from the last over, and Mohammad Nawaz managed to get Hardik Pandya's wicket in the very first delivery. However, a no ball, a wide, and most importantly, a spectacular six from Virat Kohli's bat did the job for the men in blue, who defeated Pakistan for the sixth time in a T20 World Cup clash.
The Asia Cup gave a glimpse of it, and so did the T20I series against South Africa and Australia. But, when the stage was at its biggest, when the conditions were at their toughest, when the opposition were at their strongest, the Indian fans finally got what they wanted - the great Virat Kohli redemption.
Justifying his tag of 'King Kohli,' the 33-year-old played a knock that words might fail to do justice to. The scorecard will say he has scored 82 runs from 53 deliveries at a strike rate of 154.72, but those who saw India reeling at 31/4 will know very well that this knock transcends the realms of mere numbers and statistics.
An incredible knock, by an exemplary professional, in a thrilling game of cricket. Poetry.
India beat Pakistan by 4 wickets in both teams' first Super 12 match of the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup.
Chasing a target of 160 runs, India crossed the victory line in the last ball.
Virat Kohli led the charge with the bat, scoring 82 runs in 53 deliveries.
Pakistan scored 159/8 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first.
Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed struck half-centuries, while Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh scalped three wickets each.
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