Virat Kohli’s sparkling half-century guided India to a dramatic four-wicket victory over great rivals Pakistan in an extraordinary T20 World Cup clash in front of over 90,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
India had suffered a 10-wicket hammering to Pakistan during last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE but edged Sunday’s showdown off the last ball as they reached their target of 160 following a truly thrilling finish.
Kohli (82no from 53 balls) and Hardik Pandya (40 off 37) shared a century stand to revive India from 31-4, with Kohli’s flurry of late boundaries cutting the requirement from 48 with 18 balls remaining to 16 off the last over, which was bowled by spinner Mohammad Nawaz.
Hardik fell to the next delivery before a scarcely believable conclusion began with Kohli scoring six off a no-ball as a requirement of 13 from three balls turned into six off three.
India then picked up three byes when Nawaz bowled Kohli off the free hit and the ball deflected down to deep third.
Dinesh Karthik was stumped penultimate delivery with two runs required but Nawaz then sent down a second wide of the over before Ravichandran Ashwin lofted the final ball over mid-off with one needed.
Ashwin was the official match-winner but Kohli was India’s hero, rescuing his side after they lost four wickets in 6.1 overs and then coming up with the sixes and fours required when the game appeared to have completely slipped from their grasp.
With 48 needed from the last three overs, Kolhi went on to strike three fours off Shaheen Afridi in the 18th – the first of which took him to a 43-ball fifty – before concluding the 19th with successive sixes off Haris Rauf, the second a majestic flick over deep fine leg.
His fourth and final six came off a no-ball on height grounds off Nawaz, panned over the leg-side, and he was visibly emotional after Ashwin completed an astonishing win for his team from the ninth and last ball of the over.
Pakistan and India play out Melbourne epic
Pakistan had posted 159-8 in a topsy-turvy innings with a clatter of wickets twice followed by spirited comebacks from the batting side.
Captain Babar Azam (0) and Mohammad Rizwan (4) were removed in the powerplay by Arshdeep Singh (3-32) – Babar lbw for a golden duck – while Pandya (3-30) starred during a middle-overs collapse of 5-29 as Pakistan were reduced to 120-7.
However, a third-wicket stand of 76 from 50 balls between Iftikhar Ahmed (51 off 34) and Shan Masood (52no off 42), plus a burst of late boundaries meant India were set a challenging target.
It became even more challenging when skipper Rohit Sharma (4), KL Rahul (4), Suryakumar Yadav (15) and Axar Patel (2) were removed, but Kohli, Hardik and lastly Ashwin starred for India, with Player of the Match Kohli producing one of his greatest knocks.
India opted to bowl, perhaps mindful of last year’s T20 World Cup game between the sides in Dubai when Shaheen reduced them to 6-2, and this time around it was Pakistan who lost early wickets.
The prolific opening pairing of Babar and Rizwan were dismissed by Arshdeep as they slipped to 15-2 after four overs amid lavish movement, notable bounce and a truly sizzling atmosphere inside the stadium
Left-armer Arshdeep pinned Babar plumb in front with a full in-swinger from the first ball of the second over and then had Rizwan caught on the pull at deep fine leg from the final delivery of the fourth as he filled the void left by injured fellow seamer Jasprit Bumrah.
Arshdeep (pictured) and Hardik Pandya took three wickets apiece for India
Iftikhar, Masood rally Pakistan after Arshdeep brace
Iftikhar and Masood began understandably sedately before Iftikhar sparked into life, creaming off-spinner Ashwin for six in the 11th over and then nailing three maximums in four balls off left-arm spinner Axar in a 21-run 12th to propel his side to 91-2.
Iftikhar then fell lbw to Mohammed Shami and Pakistan went on to lose 3-7 amid a wider collapse, with Hardik’s back-of-a-length deliveries accounting for Shadab Khan (5) and Haider Ali (2) in the 14th over before Hardik and Arshdeep bounced out Nawaz (9) and Asif Ali (1) in the 16th and 17th respectively.
Once again Pakistan fought back, with Masood picking up successive boundaries off Shami en route to a 40-all half-century; Shaheen (16 off 8) nailing Arshdeep for six and four during an enterprising cameo, and Haris Rauf (6no) blasting Bhuvneshwar Kumar for six in the final over.
Haris Rauf celebrates after dismissing Rohit Sharma
Rauf soon had his bowling boots on and was instrumental in Pakistan’s fast start, having Rohit caught superbly low at slip by Iftikhar and then removing a cramped Suryakumar as he tried to uppercut a short ball to deep third.
With Rahul having dragged Naseem Shah onto his stumps in the second over and Axar run out by wicketkeeper Rizwan after a fumble at the start of the seventh, India were in disarray and needed something special from former skipper Kohli and all-rounder Hardik.
The duo obliged with a fifth-wicket stand of 113 from 78 balls, the pair taking the singles on offer as they settled into their work before boundaries came thereafter, notably in Nawaz’s 20-run 12th over as Hardik and Kohli crunched a combined three sixes.
Pakistan still had the edge for most of the chase and were heavy favourites after India could only muster 12 runs combined across the 16th and 17th overs – but Kohli’s brilliance ultimately won out.
Kohli says his knock at the MCG was his best T20 innings for India
Kohli: My best T20 innings
Virat Kohli: “Until today, I have always said Mohali was my best innings, against Australia [in the 2016 T20 World Cup]. I got 82 off 51 then, today I got 82 off 53, so they are the same innings.
“But I will count this one higher because of the magnitude of the game and the situation. It seemed impossible but Hardik kept pushing me, we went deep and it happened.
“Hardik kept telling me, ‘just believe we can do it, can stay until the end’. Standing here I just feel like it was meant to be, it’s a very, very special moment.”
India skipper Rohit Sharma: “The way we won was pleasing as we were in no position to get that target. It’s good for our confidence. It’s always nice to get off the mark in the first game and in such a big game.
“We were always wanting to make sure we stayed in the game as long as possible, that was the message and something we have been talking constantly about.
“No matter what the situation, you’ve got to back yourself, believe you can pull through, and that crucial partnership between Virat and Hardik was a game-changing moment.”
Pakistan captain Babar Azam: “It was a tight game. We started well in our bowling and we had a chance. We just asked the boys to believe in themselves but all credit to Hardik and Kohli. They shifted the momentum and finished the game well.”
What’s next?
India and Pakistan return to action on Thursday. India meet Netherlands in Sydney (8am UK time) before Pakistan play Zimbabwe in Perth (12pm UK time).