24 October 2021 and 28 August 2022.
At first glance, these appear random, insignificant dates. Yet, fans of cricket will know how these two dates, spread across nearly 10 months, efficaciously accentuated the ephemeral nature of the game.
Around 10 months ago, a jam-packed Dubai International Cricket Stadium witnessed an India vs Pakistan clash, where the men in blue suffered a humbling 10-wicket defeat in a T20 World Cup.
The familiar foes crossed swords once again on Sunday, 28 August. Be it the venue, the teams, or the format, everything was similar, except the most important aspect – the outcome.
Seven of the 11 players who could barely offer a fight in that ill-fated defeat against Pakistan featured in Sunday's game. Those who looked drab and lacklustre 10 months ago were now an invigorating bunch. The Indian loyalists in Dubai, who were shell-shocked not very long ago, seemed to be filled with overbearing euphoria.
The message was there for everyone to see – the great Indian comeback is now underway, in full swing, and the boys in blue are ready to face any and every challenge without fear.
But what changed over the course of the last 10 months?
The Toss Factor & How India Used Luck to Their Advantage
The first difference one will observe while analysing the two matches is an aspect of the game that is not in anyone's control, yet can go a long way in deciding the fate of the match – the toss.
The outcome of the toss is more crucial in some venues than others, and Dubai is one such venue where it could play a big role. Statistics will show that prior to Sunday's game, 14 of the 15 T20I matches played on this venue were won by the team batting second. The only match which saw the team batting first emerging victoriously was a lopsided contest between a formidable New Zealand and a comparatively much weaker opponent, Scotland.
Unlike Virat Kohli in 2021, Rohit Sharma was fortunate to win the toss on Sunday, and bowling first was the obvious decision. Yet, this stroke of luck would not have been effective had the Indian bowlers not executed their plans to perfection.
The bowling unit which could not even break Pakistan's opening partnership last year scalped all 10 wickets on Sunday, and that too while missing their pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah.
Strategy played a big role in this incredible transformation. With the pitch offering seam movement, Bhuvneshwar Kumar capitalised on his strength using his nipping-back in-swingers to trouble Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
The wickets column will glorify Kumar's four-fer, but it will not depict how the shrewd customer set the trap for every batter.
He bowled three consecutive full-length deliveries in the third over of the inning and the Pakistani openers struggled against the late seam movement. They had scored 15 runs in the first 15 deliveries and seemed eager to get a boundary to ease the pressure.
This is when the 32-year-old broke the chain of full deliveries and slid in a short ball – enticing Babar Azam to risk it all for a big hit. The Pakistani skipper obliged and ended up giving a simple catch to Arshdeep Singh.
Having rarely used it in the match last year, the Indian bowlers banked on short balls to pick up wickets on Sunday, Kumar and Singh did well to concede only 30 runs in the first five overs, and it was then the turn of Avesh Khan to take a leaf out of his senior's books.
The very first delivery that he bowled to Fakhar Zaman was a sharp bouncer. Caught by surprise, the left-handed opted for a cut but could only edge the ball into Dinesh Karthik's gloves.
Hardik’s Spell Tipped the Scale in India’s Favour
Pakistan then had a decent partnership between Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed for the third wicket and a breakthrough was imperative for the Indian team. Rohit Sharma's captaincy deserves praise, for he called upon someone who did not bowl a single over in that T20 World Cup clash – Hardik Pandya.
The rest was all about the all-rounder’s brilliance. Pakistan went from 87/2 to 97/5 in the blink of an eye, and perhaps it was the blink that brought their downfall for they had no answers to Pandya’s pace.
There was an underlying theme in all three wickets. The same weapon which was rarely used in 2021 and earned India their first two wickets on Sunday – the short ball – turned out to be Pakistan’s kryptonite once again.
To make the bouncer more effective, Hardik added another lethal aspect to it – pace. All three deliveries which got him wickets were bowled at 139 kmph or more. With half of the team being sent back to the pavilion, Kumar and Singh then did well to extend the procession of wickets at the death overs, thereby restricting Pakistan to under 150.
The Prevention of Déjà Vu
The bowlers did an exemplary job, but it was still only a job-half-done. The batters needed to show composure and character in the run chase, yet the start India sparked déjà vu among the fans, for all the wrong reasons.
India were 2/1 after the first over in the T20 World Cup clash, and 3/1 on Sunday. KL Rahul was dismissed in the first over by teenage speedster Naseem Shah.
Two of India’s most experienced batters, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, were at the crease, and they had two major responsibilities. Firstly, they needed to ensure the batting order does not crumble like a house of cards and fans witness a repeat of 2021. To add to that, it was also necessary to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Virat and Rohit were successful in achieving both targets. Pakistan could not pick any other wickets in the powerplay, while barring the first and the third over, the duo struck at least one boundary in the other powerplay overs.
Rohit was eventually dismissed in the eighth over and this is where coach Rahul Dravid played a punt, which later turned out to be a masterstroke.
Rahul Dravid Won the Battle of Matchups
In last year’s clash, India persisted with their predefined batting order, opting not to tweak it according to the scenario’s demands. Despite having Rishabh Pant in the side, the men in blue trusted two right-handed batters at the crease. Pakistan, however, used this to their advantage by bowling a left-arm spinner in Imad Wasim against the right-handed batters. In his two overs, Wasim ended up conceding only 10 runs, thereby piling the pressure on India.
But on Sunday, the approach was different from the Indian camp. Suryakumar Yadav was expected to bat at number four after the skipper’s dismissal, but given that left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz was bowling, Dravid & Co. promoted left-handed batter Ravindra Jadeja ahead of Yadav.
The move paid dividends, with Jadeja smashing a maximum in Nawaz’s second over, then a four in his third over.
At 107/4 after 16 overs, India were the favourites to win the match, but still needed a last act of valour. The men in blue lacked a finisher in last year’s meeting and could not have afforded a repeat of the situation. Thankfully for them, Pandya came to the team’s rescue once again.
India struck only four boundaries in the last four overs of the 2021 clash, but on Sunday, Pandya smashed three fours in the penultimate over itself, before hitting a six to confirm India’s victory in the last over.
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