This 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup has rightfully claimed the title of ‘best tournament ever’, giving us scripts that feel nothing less than a blockbuster!
Experts and pundits had named Pakistan as one of the semi-finalists in the build up to the tournament as they boasted a bowling attack that would make batters tremble. New Zealand were not touted as favourites to enter the top 4 in a group that consisted of hosts Australia and the mighty England. Fast forward to the end of the super 12s and the Kiwis are the first team to qualify while Pakistan had their fate in the hands of the rest. A Kohli masterclass and crumbling defeat to England almost sealed their fate before the age-old belief: Qudrat ka Nizam came to their fore as World Cup contenders South Africa were outclassed by Netherlands, living up to their label of ‘chokers’. That meant that India and Pakistan were the two teams to qualify and the flight to Karachi was yet to come their way.
ICC decided that the game will be played on a used pitch, the same that was used for the tournament opener in New Zealand vs Australia. The SCG wicket is generally slow and batters do find it difficult to score runs if there is no pace on the ball, owing to the dryness of the surface. Skipper Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bat first in a bid to ask the Pakistan team to chase in a high-pressure knockout but they had a daunting bowling attack in front of them. Shaheen Afridi may not be at full tilt but the fast-bowling factory of Pakistan always produces champions. He sent Finn Allen back to the dressing room with just his third delivery, a full swinging delivery aimed at the pads and no inside edge to save him this time. Devon Conway looked like he meant business and was constantly looking to score, taking quick albeit risky singles which proved costly for the Kiwis as Shadab Khan’s golden arm accounted for Conway’s wicket, a moment that I believe tilted the game in Pakistan’s direction. World Cup sensation Glenn Phillips could not bring out his superman skills today as Nawaz cleverly outfoxed the batter who gave him a simple return catch and New Zealand were reeling at 49-3 after 8 overs.
The Kiwi superstar of the previous edition Daryll Mitchell walked out and ensured that they did not lose anymore wickets and consolidated their position before choosing the perfect moment to attack the Pakistani bowlers. Kane Williamson also played his shots but soon fell in the pursuit to attack as Daryll Mitchell notched up his second half-century in world cup semi-finals. James Neesham applied the finishing touches and New Zealand ended their innings at a competitive total of 152/4.
The Pakistani opening pair has been under a lot of scrutiny lately for their lack of intent and slow batting that pressurized the middle order to bail them out more often than not. In pre match conference, Matthew Hayden sent a stern message to the Kiwis when he said “As we all know about the weather, once there’s a lull, there’s often a storm that follows” and he could not have been truer. Babar Azam spent almost 3 hours batting the previous day in the heat and you could sense that something special is brewing. Pakistan opened their account with a boundary as Rizwan thrashed Boult through the covers.
New Zealand were titled the ‘best fielding side of the tournament’ but failed to hold onto their chances come the big day. Rizwan was given a reprieve in the very first over as Conway failed to grab a tough chance and there were more than a couple of run-out chances missed. What ensued after was a flurry of boundaries by both batters and it seemed like they were batting on a different surface altogether. The sound off Babar’s bat could still be heard amongst the loud cheers of the crowd as Pakistan had their most successful powerplay of the tournament, ending it 55-0. The Kiwis looked completely clueless and the opening pair smashed them all over the park and registered their first stand of 100 in the tournament. Babar Azam reached a well deserved 50 and looked up to thank the heavens, seemingly putting his devils behind him.
The new kid on the block, Mohammad Haris came out all guns blazing as he rocked his way to a quickfire thirty and ensured that his team are in prime position to book their tickets for the finals. With 2 runs needed of the final over, Southee ran in with determination only to bowl a wide and one could not help but rewind to Nawaz and the dreadful wide that shattered the hearts of millions but Qudrat ka Nizam had an entirely different dish ready to be served!
