With India chasing 160 to beat Pakistan in their Twenty20 World Cup opening match in Melbourne, India needed 16 runs from Mohammad Nawaz’s final over, with batsmen Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya at the crease.
19.1 Pakistan breaks partnership
Pandya (40) had struggled against spin and Pakistan shed first blood when the all-rounder attempted to hit the ball over the leg side, only to take the delivery over cover where skipper Babar Azam took the catch.
19.2 Karthik rotates the strike
New batsman Dinesh Karthik stepped on the front foot as he arrived and approached with a full toss to take a single and strike the in-form Kohli.
19.3 Four balls to get 15
Kohli instructs one yorker to long on and takes two to place the strike. Three balls, 13 needed.
19.4 Pendulum Shifts
Nawaz’s high full toss is smashed by Kohli to deep square leg where the fielder gets his hands on the ropes but fails to play the ball and it goes for a six.
The umpire also calls for a no-ball for height and his counterpart Marais Erasmus walks from square leg to pacify the Pakistani captain, who was furious at the call.
19.4 Pressure on Nawaz
The bowler can’t keep his cool and bowls a wide yorker – too wide and signals the umpire wide.
19.4 A Free Hit
Kohli is cast as soon as the ball hits the off-stump, but he is already running to the non-striker’s end as it is still a free hit. With the ball heading towards third man, the 37-year-old Karthik runs well between the wickets as they take three.
19.5 TWIST IN THE STORY
Karthik tries to make room for the shot but the ball hits his pads. Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan is quick to react after seeing his opposite number outside his crease, whipping the bails to complete the stumping and giving Pakistan the advantage.
19.6 One Ball, Two To Win, One To Tie
Kohli is stuck at the non-striker’s end and the fate of the run chase rests in Ravichandran Ashwin’s hands – until Nawaz is under pressure again and he throws wide to the leg side which Ashwin gleefully lets down.
19.6 India snatched the victory
As Pakistan’s fielders come close to stopping a single and forcing a Super Over, Ashwin pulls the ball over the inner circle and cheers among 90,000 Indian fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
India went on to win by four wickets and Kohli was adjudged player of the match for his unbeaten knock of 82 under pressure, in which he hit six fours and four sixes.
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