A correction: until today Pakistan men’s team had never won a World Cup game of ANY kind, not just T20, to India. What a way to do it- a pummelling, a majestic, dismissive, stroll. A glorious pancaking. And a sucker-punch to the planned progression of the competition. Wonderful stuff.
Shaheen Afridi is given the player of the match award for his dismantling of the Indian top order.
And that’s it from me for today. Enjoy your celebrations/ an arm pat for your sorrows. Congratulations Pakistan. Good evening!
The PERFECT selfie!! 😍😍😍 pic.twitter.com/UO8wJXdRdN
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 24, 2021
Updated
The cameras return to Dubai after infinite ads. Time to pick over the bones of Pakistan’s TEN WICKET victory, with 13 balls to spare.
Virat Kohli: “Credit should be given where it is due and Pakistan outplayed us with the ball, when you lose three wickets for 20 runs early on it is very hard to get back into the game. Pakistan were very very professional . The pitch was ok, it played slow in the first half, a little bit of dew made the ball come a bit quicker onto the bat in the second half. We needed to get off to a good start but Pakistan stopped that. We’re not a team that presses the panic button this is the start of the tournament not the end of the tournament. We need to stay composed.”
Babar Azam: “ We executed the plans very well. Overall the bowlers bowled really well. WE batted deep and made sure we kept up with the run-rate and got those boundaries. We still believe there is a long way to go.”
“Just checking you all had Salah as captain as well?” pic.twitter.com/aTTuUna4Hc
— The Pinch Hitter (@LePinchHitter) October 24, 2021
Updated
I can’t quite believe what I just watched! Babar and Rizwan are immediately congratulated by Virat Kohli, hand outstretched, and the rest of the Indian team. Pakistan descend into a joyful huddle. That’s Pakistan’s first T20 World Cup win over India and what style! India had no answer to the glorious conundrum that was Babar and Rizwan.
Cricket the great unifier. Love that. But india came second tonight. #ICCT20WorldCup2021 pic.twitter.com/WScqROInVw
— simon hughes (@theanalyst) October 24, 2021
Updated
Pakistan beat India by ten wickets!
18th over: Pakistan 152-0 (Rizwan 79; Babar 68) Kohli looks like he’s going for the jugular with Bumrah, but plumps for Shami, whose first ball is a full-toss that Rizwan helps on its way fatly soaring over backward square for six. The next is powered for four through long-on, and the next through square leg! Babar zips to long-on, they charge back for the second, and that is that! Unbelievable scenes!
Updated
17th over: Pakistan 135-0 (Rizwan 64; Babar 64) Bhuvneshwar is on the money. Pakistan can only squeeze him for five, perhaps fatigue is setting in, but a couple of. marginal wides go Pakistan’s way. Babar is most perturbed when the sixth is not called wide. Bhuvneshwar merrily agrees with the umpire. 17 needed from 18.
16th over: Pakistan 128-0 (Rizwan 62; Babar 63) Shami’s first ball is snapped to the boundary by Rizwan who is all wristy hustle. A couple of singles then a leg bye. With four overs left, Pakistan now need a run a ball.
“Evening Tanya.” Evening Brian!
“I noticed a reference to El Classico earlier but it is looking like Pakistan are threatening to turn this into Liverpool vs Manchester United now.”
Fifty for Rizwan!
15th over: Pakistan 121-0 (Rizwan 56; Babar 62) Rizwan whips Bumrah for another boundary legside, then they scurry through for two, still pressing, still pushing, even with the game as good as folded and in their pocket. India have no answer to this perfectly-paced onslaught. 31 needed from 30 balls.
“Pakistan going for the Net Run Rate thing.” muses Romeo.
Updated
14th over: Pakistan 112-0 (Rizwan 48; Babar 61) Four more as Babar lets fly at Jadeja, then sweeps another past a dejected short fine leg. He’s flying now. 40 needed from 36. Kohli’s knotted eyebrows are not impressed.
Fifty for Babar Azam!
13th over: Pakistan 101-0 (Rizwan 46; Babar 51) Rizwan squats and whips sending Chakaravarthy soaring for six over deep square leg. Babar’ fifty comes with a six of his own, a long-hop joyously dispatched over mid-wicket. Fifty off 40 balls. It’s a cakewalk.
Updated
12th over: Pakistan 85-0 (Rizwan 38; Babar 44) Virat persists with his Mr Reliable. Jadeja is on point, but no breakthrough. No-one tell Virat Kohli, but United are losing 5-0 to Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Romeo is pondering: “I’m wondering whether there’ll be any Afghan commentators for this tournament.Preston Mommsen is listed, representing Scotland, but no one from Namibia. The only Afghan I’ve ever come across on ICC commentary is Hamid Hassan, but he’s playing.”
“Niall O’Brien (love him) knows a lot about Afghan cricket so maybe
that’ll have to do. He very likely knows a lot about Namibia too.”
11th over: Pakistan 80-0 (Rizwan 35; Babar 43) Bumrah to start the second ten. His second ball is the slot, and lofted by Babar, wide over mid-off for four. Bumrah retaliates with a yorker. Two more down the ground, then an edge behind.
Pandya is off the field having a shoulder scan.
10th over: Pakistan 71-0 (Rizwan 35; Babar 34) At half way through, Pakistan are nearly half way there. A heart-in-mouth four from Babar to start Chakaravarthy’s over, bisecting point and third man. Then a series of tight runs, culminating in that near-run out; Rizwan saved by his flying bat just hitting the ground before Bhuvneshwar’s direct hit. Drinks! India need wickets.
NOT OUT!
Rizwan charging for the line, a direct hit, but the bat is somehow just in.
REVIEW! Rizwan run-out
Ooof....
Updated
9th over: Pakistan 62-0 (Rizwan 32; Babar 28) The crowd are quiet, watching, waiting. Jadeja repeatedly dries the ball on his cloth. Three singles a, dot, then Babar goes full Babar, rocking onto his back foot and chugging the ball over deep midwicket for six.
8th over: Pakistan 52-0 (Rizwan 30; Babar 20) Pakistan need to breathe to survive the squeeze from Jadeja and, here, Chakaravarthy. Rizwan is almost stumped off a wide, stuttering forward. They plough singles.
Updated
7th over: Pakistan 46-0 (Rizwan 27; Babar 18) Kohli plays his trump card, Jadeja. Just a single and four dots off the first four. It’s damp out there, Jadeja slips fielding off his own bowling. Beautifully done, and whipped through almost before Pakistan had time to think.
6th over: Pakistan 43-0 (Rizwan 25; Babar 17) Bhuvneshwar is back, yellow rag hanging from the back of his trousers to dry off the dew. It looks like an old-style duster. No boundaries, but Rizwan and Babar pick off the singles with relative ease. The tip of Kohli’s beard scowls in disgust.
5th over: Pakistan 35-0 (Rizwan 21; Babar 14) The Shami bustle is so deceptive. He looks easy-pickings; he’s generally not. Babar eyes him up for one then purrs one, like a resting jaguar, over mid-on to the boundary. A slower ball is swivel-swept for four more by Rizwan.
“The fireworks of the one-handed Pant may have been extinguished by Pakistan’s excellent bowling and fielding but Kohli is playing a highly intelligent innings, playing classic cricket strokes and not getting flustered by the team’s relatively low score unlike the Windies yesterday,” writes Colum Fordham.
“I had a quick glimpse of Barcelona-Real Madrid but India-Pakistan is the real El Clasico today. It’s a wonderful contest.”
Too true, it’s glorious.
Updated
4th over: Pakistan 24-0 (Rizwan 15; Babar 9) Virat plumps for Chakaravarthy early. He’s tall, right arm releasing the ball close to his ear . There’s some smart fielding in the circle by Jadeja at backward point and Babar can’t get him away.
Updated
3rd over: Pakistan 22-0 (Rizwan 14; Babar 8) Bumrah throws a yorker in early. Rizwan is jittery, sending Babar back for a likely single. Babar flicks a full one square and a superb bit of one-handed fielding stops the boundary. Four from the over.
2nd over: Pakistan 18-0 (Rizwan 13; Babar 5) It’s Shami at the other end, shuffling in at speed. Rizwan is hustling, sprinting between the wickets. while Babar, that’s finger-kissing good, threading Shami through the covers for a satin-clad four.
Updated
Pakistan need 152 to win
1st over: Pakistan 10-0 (Rizwan 10; Babar 0) RIZ-WAN! He flicks Bhuvneshwar for four - a call made by the third umpire, then next ball pull-flicks him square for six off a ball just a thread too short. Bhuvneshwar retaliates with three successive dots.
India are in their huddle listening to a ferociously earnest Virat Kohli. And here we go again! Rizwan to face the first ball.
At half way, whose game is this? I don’t know! Superb by Pakistan in the opening overs, thwarted by Pant and Kohli, at his very best. That seventeen runs from Afridi’s final over could be costly - though he bowled like an absolute dream. Babar’s side were brilliant in the field, throwing themselves at everything. Time for a quick cup of tea.
An email! Tony Mason writes. “Tanya, thanks for these updates. I started watching the game but the screeching from the stadium announcer just turned me off so I switched to the football and have only you for cricket company. Has there been any dampening of the irritation since India were about 12-2?”
I was actually so engrossed with the game that I zoned out! The chase will be worth tuning in for.
India 151-7 after twenty overs
20th over: India 151-7 (Shami 0; Bhuvneshwar 5) It’s the superb Rauf with the last over, and with Pandya gone, India can’t get him away. A sprinkling of twos,, a bye from the last, and just seven from it. And breathe.
WICKET! Pandya c Babar b Rauf 11 (India 146-7)
A slower ball and Pandya powers high and picks out Babar.
19th over: India 144-6 (Pandya 11; Bhuvneshwar 1) After the glory of the Kohli wicket, Afridi is called for a waist-high no ball, and a free-hit. It’s beautifully bowled, India charge for one and a furious Afridi hurls the ball at the non-striker’s end, misses and the ball goes for four over throws. Carnage! Seventeen from the over.
Updated
WICKET! Kohli c Rizwan b Afridi 57 (India 133-6)
Kohli swings at a slower ball and a diving Rizwan swoops to swallow in florescent green gauntlets.
Updated
Fifty for Kohli!
18th over: India 127-5 (Pandya 0; Kohli 57)Kohli reaches fifty with a clip off Hasan Ali for two. The next goes high and handsome over extra-cover, hit on the up, impossibly good. Jadeja needs to motor and motor he does, swivelling and sending the ball flying to the fine-leg boundary, only to hole out next ball.
WICKET! Jadeja c b Hasan Ali 13 (India 125-5)
Jadeja is on the charge, but misreads the slower ball and sends it aerially.
Updated
17th over: India 114-4 (Jadeja 9; Kohli 48) Jadeja changes his bat - he’s not exploded into this game yet. Kohli drives, straight to the sweeper. Babar paces about, looking nervous. He has a green bandage on his hand - I wonder, do all the team first-aid kits match the jerseys? Rauf is canny, changing his pace cleverly, three slower balls in a row. Just four singles from the over.
16th over: India 110-4 (Jadeja 7; Kohli 46) Oh that’s clever from Kohli, who pulls Hasan in extreme wristiness, down to the fine-leg boundary. And another, pin-point timing, through extra-cover, beating a diving, tumbling, Shadab on the rope. Kohli is in sublime touch.
Updated
15th over: India 100-4 (Jadeja 6; Kohli 37) Shadab’s final over starts with two dots, then three singles, what is Kohli going to do with the sixth? Forcing a single is all he can manage. Well bowled Shadab! 1-22 in four. Six overs left.
Updated
14th over: India 96-4 (Jadeja 4; Kohli 35) Rauf rushes in, a beanpole on speed. Veteran Shoaib Malik patrols the outfield, throwing his body at hte skidding white ball and India can’t reach the boundary - till Virat eyes up a yorker, just inches wide, and turns it down to the rope. He punches the air in repressed passion.
Updated
13th over: India 87-4 (Jadeja 1; Kohli 30) Babar whistles up to Shadab, whose trousers may just be tucked into his socks. Pant mishits him for two, but doesn’t survive the next heave-ho. Jadeja leapfrogs Pandya in the order.
Updated
WICKET! Pant c and b Shadab 39 (India 84-4)
Pant is down on his knees, sweeps, mishits, high, high, and is well held by Shadab off his own bowling, hands high over his head with enough time in the air for a swallow of relief when it is safe.
Updated
12th over: India 81-3 (Pant 37; Kohli 28) Hasan busies in and Pant, kneels, and mis- sweeps him one-handed for SIX! Babar smiles - what can you do? And Pant repeats it next ball, this time a one-handed straight-drive. Kohli pats him on the helmet paternally. The fifty stand comes up in 38 balls. India are fizzing.
11th over: India 66-3 (Pant 22; Kohli 28) Babar reverts to seam and Haris Rauf, who scorches in, ball held in both hands across his chest. He’s nippy and India can’t get him away. Kohli shakes his head in frustration after mis-timing and just picking up a single.
We pan to the royal box where all the Indian superstars are dressed like rich boys sloanes on a night out, all fresh T-shirts, blazers and (possibly) deck shoes.
This is the photo of the tournament.#INDvPAK #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/fMJO1LUft5
— Haroon (@hazharoon) October 24, 2021
10th over: India 60-3 (Pant 18; Kohli 26) Oh the majesty! Pant, a back-cut, drills Hafeez for four. And at the half-way stage the run-rate remains, as it has most of the game, six an over. They take drinks.
9th over: India 52-3 (Pant 13; Kohli 24) A good over spoilt by a short leg-side last ball that Pant kneels for and picks up and dispatches to the fine-leg boundary. That might give him the momentum he needs, has been struggling a little for timing. Eggs-over-easy for Kohli.
“With SKY’s poor IPL form, India’s batting is too top-heavy in this world cup,” writes Aditya Anchuri. “I don’t understand how he made the cut with the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer around in Indian cricket, not to mention Ishan Kishan on the bench for this game. India often shoot themselves in the foot with selection and so far that’s how this feels.”
8th over: India 43-3 (Pant 6; Kohli 22) Hafeez’s off-spin proves equally difficult to score off. Perhaps 120 will be a good score on this pitch, used by England and West Indies yesterday.
NOT OUT!
Rizwan’s enthusiasm was misplaced, a reverse-sweep that missed everything. Good decision.
Updated
REVIEW! Pant c Rizwan b Hafeez 5
Pakistan are very keen...
7th over: India 39-3 (Pant 4; Kohli 20) It’s time for Shadab and his flat leg-spin. Just three from the over though as Pant can’t get him away.
6th over: India 36-3 (Pant 1; Kohli 20) Hasan Ali runs in, his chain running round his neck and over his jersey. He’s not got got the starburst of Shahidi but, today, he’s got the magic. Suryakumar tries to inch down the pitch to power another boundary but only edges behind. Kohli opens the face and sends the last ball of the power play through the covers for a four of gloriousness.
Is there any better sound for the cricket fan on the radio than "BOWLED'IM!!" accompanied by a baritone woody *clunk* in the background @tjaldred. Heaven ♥️♥️ #INDvPAK
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) October 24, 2021
WICKET! Suryakumar c Rizwan b Hasan Ali 11 (India 31-3)
Back of a length, straightens, and Suryakumar throws the bat, flipper footed, and a two-handed diving catch by Rizwan almost in slow motion.
Updated
5th over: India 30-2 (Suryakumar 11; Kohli 15) Babar Azam keeps Afridi on for a third over, but no cigar this time around. Kohli gets the blood flowing, the stadium dancing, driving Afridi straight over long-on for six. Pure timing and exhilarating wristy-power.
Updated
4th over: India 21-2 (Suryakumar 11; Kohli 6) Suryakumar has brand to build and Imad in his sights, sweeping his last ball gloriously to the boundary.
@tjaldred I think India want to ensure that we score more than 55, will accelerate after that :)#obo #INDvPAK #ICCT20WorldCup2021
— Anand (@anandkumarn) October 24, 2021
3rd over: India 14-2 (Suryakumar 7; Kohli 4) Almost more than anything, I am full of admiration for Afridi’s hair - the ultimate application of gel. After that wonder wicket, he tests and tests again, until Suryakumar has enough and pulls him for six just over the fielder at deep-square.
WICKET! Rahul b Afridi 3 (india 6-2)
Unbelievable! The ball swings in and Rahul is momentarily perplexed and it is a moment too long. Stumps akimbo.
Updated
2nd over: India 6-1 (Rahul 3; Kohli 3) It’s Imad, ponytailed and tall, with his slow left-armers. Kohli and Rahul push for gentle singles, some light relief.
Richard Thompson writes: “When I grow up, I want to be Shaheen Shah Afridi.”
Updated
1st over: India 2-1 (Rahul 1; Kohli 1) A huge roar as Afridi starts his Amazonian run up. He starts with two dots, at around 90mph, and Rahul picks up a single off the third. Then the wicket : a delivery bounteous in its gorgeousness. Kohli arrives at 1-1.
WICKET! Sharma lbw Afridi 0 (Indian 1-0)
A golden duck for Sharma as Afridi inswings a full ball into his pads, wham-damn in front of middle stump. No doubts for the umpire and Pakistan are flying!
Updated
Some confusion, but then India take the knee, Pakistan put their hands over their hearts.
Pakistan huddle just outside the boundary; Rahul and Sharma march to the middle. The first over will be bowled by Afridi. He dances from foot to foot at the top of his run-up.
Anthem time. Pakistan first, left hands on chest in unison, in slightly sludgy green kit this time around. Then India. They sing along, Virat Kohli’s collar raised in jaunty manner.
Statty joy for the Pakistan supporters out there:
#Pakistan last 6 T20Is at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium:
— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) October 24, 2021
Won v New Zealand
Won v New Zealand
Won v Australia
Won v Australia
Won v West Indies
Won v West Indies#Cricket #T20WorldCup
Extremely dramatic music on Sky as they play their preview package. In the ground, there seems, from the TV at least, more of an atmosphere than during England v West Indies: drums, drama, more people in the stands. The commentators are having to shout over the din.
The game will be played on the same strip where West Indies were bowled out for 55 by England yesterday.
Teams:
India: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
R Ashwin carries the drinks again!
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Pakistan win the toss and will bowl!
Rubs hands...
While Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are battling it out in Sharjah in the highest-scoring game of the competition so far, what can we expect from Dubai? A slow pitch that will favour the spinners, but both teams also have Exocets in their fast-bowling pack. Princely showman Shaheen Shah Afridi for Pakistan, and India’s careful dissector Jasprit Bumrah. We expect the toss shortly, with teams to follow, it all kicks off at 3pm BST.
So...the opposite of familiarity breeds contempt?
In an age when domestic tournaments ensure players from all countries face each other very often, #IND v #PAK is obviously an exception to the rule. India’s batters have faced a total of 26 balls (!) from bowlers in #PAK squad, while #PAK have faced 150 from #IND. #T20WorldCup
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) October 24, 2021
Preamble
For a little something special on a Sunday afternoon, how about the biggest international rivalry in sport? India v Pakistan has the pizzazz of cold-war style USSR v USA on the ice-hockey pitch, only with a ball and (slightly) less on-field agro. In cricket, only England v Australia can match it. But that has considerably less geo-political impact these days .
India stroll into the game huge favourites. Massive. They’ve beaten Pakistan in their last five T20 World Cup meetings and are favourites to bring home the trophy. Flighty Pakistan, whose pre-tournament practise was disrupted by the withdrawal of the English and New Zealand touring parties, will have to experience the Haal, as Osman Samiuddin wrote about so brilliantly here.
“Sometimes, but not always, it takes an unusual dismissal to turn on the light – a run-out, an electric catch, a part-timer taking a wicket. And then there is total frenzy, so overwhelming and real you can almost hold it in your hands. Such is its force that it can be deeply moving even through the sensory dilution and sanitisation of TV, even on ball-by-ball commentary online. But to let it get right inside your head and start rearranging your brain – like acid but a lighter, less paranoid burn – you have to be there as it happens.”
India v Pakistan was the most watched game of the 2019 men’s 50-over World Cup, with the ICC reporting 273 million unique views watching “linear TV’ with another 50 million digital-only viewers. Crazy, uncomputable, numbers but, however you look at it, lots of eyes. The figures for today are expected to be comparably huge.
And just for the lols, the two leading scorers in IT20s over the last three years? Babar Azam and Virat Kohli. Grab your condiments of choice, this is going to be fun.
