New Delhi. You may have rarely seen Sunil Gavaskar dancing on the field. But in the last T20 World Cup, we all saw how Gavaskar danced after India’s victory. And that match was such, about which it can be said that neither past nor future… Now no one has seen the future. So let’s not talk about it. Let’s talk about that India-Pakistan match, which at one point took the breath away from the fans.
This match between India and Pakistan was played in Melbourne on 23 October 2023. Pakistan scored 159 runs for 8 wickets. In response, India scored 144 runs for 4 wickets in 19 overs. At the start of the 20th over, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya were at the crease and the ball was in the hands of Mohammad Nawaz. Nawaz increased the pressure on the Indian team by dismissing Pandya on the very first ball. Now India needed 16 runs in 5 balls and Dinesh Karthik had replaced Pandya at the strike end.
Dinesh Karthik took a run as soon as he came and the responsibility fell on Virat Kohli. Virat took 2 runs on the third ball of the over. In this way, India now needed 13 runs from the last 3 balls. That means at least two boundaries were needed in 3 balls, which should include a six. The heartbeats of the fans had gone out of control. Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan had left the commentary and had come close to the boundary line.
Virat Kohli hit a six on the fourth ball of the over. The ball was above waist height and hence was declared a no ball. This means India got 7 runs on one ball. Now India needed 6 runs on 3 balls, which included a free hit. Meanwhile, Nawaz made India’s job a little easier by throwing a wide ball.
Now India needed 5 runs from 3 balls including a free hit. When it seemed that India was very close to victory, then an amazing scene was seen on a free hit ball. Virat got clean bowled on this free hit ball of Nawaz. There was no question of getting out as it was a free hit. After hitting the stumps, the ball went towards third man and Virat and Dinesh Karthik took advantage of this and ran 3 bye runs.
Now two runs were needed from two balls and Dinesh Karthik was on the strike end, who had shown his skills many times in the role of finisher. But this time DK missed. He missed and in a way trapped the Indian team. He got out on the fifth ball of the 20th over. Mohammad Rizwan stumped Karthik on Nawaz’s ball going outside the leg stump.
Last over Thriller of India vs Pakistan Match of T20 World Cup 2022 at MCG.
Video Courtesy @DisneyPlusHS @StarSportsIndia pic.twitter.com/QAkw0I61VL
— Ankit (@Cric_RCB) January 30, 2024