Key events
13th over: India 84-1 (Gill 39, Kohli 22) Virat Kohli unfurls a trademark Virat Kohli cover drive that whistles for four and sees him rack up 14000 runs in ODIs. What a player, he’d love a telling score today.
A single from Kohli brings Gill on strike and he clips for three runs through midwicket. Kohlie then finishes the over with another sublime punch through cover for four more. Be still my beating heart.The crowd clearly feel the same.
12th over: India 67-1 (Gill 35, Kohli 9) Time for some spin as Abrar Ahmed is summoned for a twirl. No real turn on offer and three singles worked off a quiet over. Pakistan still hurting from that drop off Rauf in the last over, every run will feel like a twist of the knife.
11th over: India 67-1 (Gill 35, Kohli 9) Haris Rauf into the attack and Shubman Gill is DROPPED! Gah! Pakistan have their heads in their hands as an easy chance is shelled by Khushdil in the covers. Went at chest height and burst through the fielder’s hands. Pakistan simply cannot afford to do that.
10th over: India 64-1 (Gill 35, Kohli 6) Naseem Shah tightens things up, just a single off the over and that’s the end of the Powerplay. India on top but Pakistan have picked up the gilded scalp of Rohit for their efforts.
9th over: India 63-1 (Gill 35, Kohli 5) Runs flowing again for India, Shubman Gill plays a classic front foot drive that goes like a scud missile off his bat and through cover for four. He holds the pose and that one too and why not. Pure as a fresh alpine snow drift. Four more! Smacked down the ground! Gill is growing in confidence with every ball and seemingly seeing it as big as a beachball. Fourteen runs in total off the over.
8th over: India 49-1 (Gill 25, Kohli 3) Naseem Shah is accurate once more, just three runs off his over. Kohli gets off the mark with a clip to leg that brings a couple and then nurdles one into the covers. Pakistan are well aware how much Virat loves playing against them, his energetic running between the wickets is described as being like a ‘cat on a hot tin roof’ by HUGE Tennessee Williams fan Ravi Shastri.
7th over: India 46-1 (Gill 25, Kohli 0) Gill hits a couple of princely boundaries off Shaheen Shah Afridi! A signature pull over midwicket is followed up by a delicious drive down the ground. A fluky inside edge brings the batter four more and makes it fourteen runs off the over.
6th over: India 32-1 (Gill 11, Kohli 0) Top over from Naseem Shah who looks more at ease now he doesn’t have Rohit prowling down the other end. Five dots to Gill who then nudges a single off the last ball down to mid off. He’ll keep strike for the next.
5th over: India 31-1 (Gill 10, Kohli 0) Guess who comes out at number three for India? Correct! There’s a wild cheer as Virat strides purposefully out to the middle.
A Shaheen special! Full and swinging in, Rohit can’t get the bat down in time and the stumps are splattered! Big moment in the match. Shaheen celebrates in his customary spread armed fashion. Nine more of those please squire.
4th over: India 26-0 (Rohit 16, Gill 9) Naseem Shah pulls his length back and is worked away for a couple of singles before Rohit takes a couple of steps down the wicket and launches over extra cover for four more! Hold the pose. The last two balls of the over are defended but Pakistan are in desperate need already.
3rd over: India 20-0 (Rohit 11, Gill 8) Gill gets lucky with an inside edge off Shaheen that traces past the keeper for four. The Elvis-haired seamer is up at 90MPH and Gill defends the next four deliveries as they are right on the money. Shot! SSA goes too full and is belted away through cover for four by Shubman. Eight runs off the over. India ticking already.
2nd over: India 12-0 (Rohit 11, Gill 0) Incredible bating from Rohit! His first boundary is fortunate, a top edge off the slingy Naseem Shah that flies over the keeper and away for four. Next up is a drool-worthy clip off the pads that soars away for SIX over square leg. He’s the master of that nonchalant pick up shot and it is met with huge cheers from the Indian dominated crowd.
1st over: India 2-0 (Rohit 1, Gill 0) Shaheen Shah Afridi to Rohit Sharma and it is box office stuff. Shaheen’s speeds are right up there and he’s spearing in the yorker first ball! Rohit does well to jam his bat down in time. A wide outside the off side tramline is followed by a clip of the pads by Rohit to get off the mark. Gill is watchful for the rest of the over, digging out two more full balls zeroing in on the stumps. Top first over from Shaheen.
Shaheen Shah Afridi has the new white Kookaburra in his mitts, let the chase begin!
James Wallace
Thanks Tanya and hello all. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will soon be out in the middle and the first ten overs of this chase will likely decide the outcome of the game. It feels like Pakistan are well short, especially if the dew comes down and the ball zips onto the bat as it did in Lahore last evening. Pakistan need early wickets and to ramp up the pressure from the off. Where’s your money? Let me know by getting in touch on the email on the left flank of this page. All thoughts and theories welcome (within reason).
Time for me to hand over to Jim, who will expertly guide you through India’s chase and Pakistan’s chances of survival in this tournament. Thanks for your messages – bye!
“The pitch was slightly on the slow side,” says Saud Shakeel. Have Pakistan got enough runs? “We need early wickets.”
And that is the story of the match in a nutshell. Pakistan are probably 30 runs short of giving India a run for their money, even on this slightly turgid pitch and slow outfield. Turns out Rizwan and Saud knew what they were doing in their slow accumulation period – unfortunately neither of them could stay around for the last act. Nor could Babar, who looked in great touch A cool cameo from Khushdil at the close at least got Pakistan up to near 250.
India’s bowlers were excellent, intelligent control, as was the fielding – barring those two dropped catches.
49.4 over: Pakistan 241 all out (Abrar 0) Death bowling to dream on, as Harshit’s first three balls are dots. A desperate Khushdil slog-sweeps the fourth and is caught from a great height at deep midwicket.
An excellent throw from Axar at deep midwicket beats Rauf coming back for the second.
49th over: Pakistan 241-9 (Khushdil 38, Abrar 0) Bingo! Khushdil pulls Shami’s first ball up and into the ground for SIX. And then Rauf joins in – a top-edged pull flying into the spectators. Shami comes back with a yorker, then the run-out. Invaluable runs for Pakistan.
48th over: Pakistan 227-8 (Khushdil 31, Rauf 1) Khushdil swings at Harshit’s first ball and misses. Picks up two whacking a full-toss back, clipping the bowler’s fingers in the process. Khushdil is putting everything into his shots but can’t find the boundary. Pakistan turn down a single from the last ball.
47th over: Pakistan 222-8 (Khushdil 27, Rauf 0) Brilliant stuff from Kuldeep in his penultimate over. Can anyone provide some last-over oompa? Incidentally, that was Virat Kohli’s 157th catch in ODIs, behind only Jayawardene and Ponting.
Kuldeep floats one up, Naseem plays a checked drive, and Kohli, running in from the rope, doesn’t drop those.
46th over: Pakistan 219-7 (Khushdil 26, Naseem Shah 12) What can Pakistan conjure up from this last five overs? Shami thunders in, Shah darts out his bat and guides the ball down nicely to deep third. The crowd have found their voice at last, a Mexican wave rolling around the ground. Naseem can’t make the most of a full toss, but they eke seven from the over.
45th over: Pakistan 212-7 (Khushdil 23, Naseem Shah 9) Kuldeep beats Shah, who smiles sweetly. But these two do well, a nurdle here, a nurdle there, a punch down the ground, a quick single.
44th over: Pakistan 206-7 (Khushdil 21, Naseem Shah 5) Naseem, now in a helmet, gets a handy thick edge off the returning Harshit – Pakistan will take them any way they come. India are now only one minute behind the clock.
43rd over: Pakistan 200-7 (Khushdil 19, Naseem Shah 0) Two in two. And two slips wait in vain for the hat-trick, as Naseem Shah struts out in a cap and calmly directs the ball into the ground.
Possibly the worst review in history as Shaheen Shah Afridi appeals an lbw which would have merrily spun into middle stump, his legs in clay. Kuldeep on a hat-trick!
A leading edge, which Jadeja catches with both hands on the slide at cover point. Did well to clutch on with both hands as he lost his balance.
42nd over: Pakistan 197-5 (Salman 18, Khushdil 18) Axar’s final over and Khushdil spanks him for SIX, dropping to one knee and slog-sweeping him high into the crowd. The Dubai sky is now a washing-up bowl grey.
41st over: Pakistan 188-5 (Salman 17, Khushdil 11) Can Pakistan reach 220 by 46 and then have a slog? Not if Kuldeep can help it. Rohit, I should have said, is back on the field and agrees to review an lbw against a reverse-sweeping Khushdil. Ooof – umpire’s call. Five singles. Rizwan exclaims and Babar listens in the dressing room.
40th over: Pakistan 183-5 (Salman 15, Khushdil 8) Axar darts them in, Salman and Khushdil continue to be inventive and if they don’t make the boundary, do pick up six runs.
39th over: Pakistan 177-5 (Salman 10, Khushdil 7) A neat reverse sweep by Khushdil deserves four, but a combination of slow outfield and an athletic Shreyas Iyer reduces it to three. Seven from Jadeja’s over, some clever farming of the strike.
38th over: Pakistan 170-5 (Salman 8, Khushdil 2) Blue shirts suddenly everywhere. Axar not the easiest man to knock off the square when you’re searching for runs. Three singles. The cameras pick up happy looking female spectators with gorgeous long hair.
37th over: Pakistan 167-5 (Salman 6, Khushdil 1) Jadeja bounces away to his fielding position and Pakistan must rebuild again – 250 suddenly looking a long way away.
The card house starts to collapse. Tayyab plays inside the line of a beauty from Jadeja that pitches on middle, hits off.
36th over: Pakistan 165-4 (Salman 5, Tayyab 4) Some successful dabing here and there – five singles from Axar’s over.
35th over: Pakistan 160-4 (Salman 3, Tayyab 1) And from a position of burgeoning promise, Pakistan have now lost both their men in position. Salman and Tayyab must get the measure of this pitch in a hurry. Shakeel had time to pull Hardik for one more four before holeing out.
Saud pulls with staccato arms, and this time India hold on, Axar at deep midwicket doing the business.
34th over: Pakistan 154-3 ( Saud 58, Salman 2) After picking up the wicket of Rizwan, breaking a stand of 104 for the third wicket, Axar nearly has a second wicket in the over. But India shell their second catch in five balls as Saud slog-sweeps but Kuldeep is not quick enough to get into position at long on, and lets it through his finger tips.
Rizwan can’t make the most of his second life! Merrily foxtrots down the pitch, swings wantonly, misses, and loses his stumps.
33rd over: Pakistan 150-2 ( Saud 56, Rizwan 46) A wait, for something, but I’m not sure what as we are being shown tourism pictures from Dubai. Hardik is back, and starts with a too-high wide. An off cutter then cuts Riwan in half. Rizwan swipes at one, and Pakistan go for the second, a wayward throw from Shreyas means there’s no risk. Rohit beats the deck in frustration. He’s chewing his fingers next ball as Rizwan gallops down the ground, skies the ball into the Dubai blue and the waiting Harshit Rana runs this way and that, but as the ball falls lets it drop through his fingers.
The score breakdown from the first thirty overs: 52 from the first ten, 27 from the second ten, 50 from the third. If you’re there at the ground, do drop me a line. Is the stadium full, what is the atmosphere like? It seems a little subdued at the moment.
32nd over: Pakistan 142-2 ( Saud 54, Rizwan 42) Axar Patel resumes after drinks, angling the ball in from a good height. Saud and Rizwan are scampering now between the wickets. Five from the over – the run rate back over 4.4.
31st over: Pakistan 137-2 ( Saud 50, Rizwan 41) A gorgeous lap by Saud wriggles through the gaps in the field and hurrahs over the rope. Saud walks away with Jadeja about to deliver, the ball sails through and clips the stumps. He apologises and all is well, then reaches his fifty off 63 balls with a single to square leg. The players take drinks, Pakistan emerging from their lethargy with wickets in hand, giving themselves room for expansion in the last 19 overs.
30th over: Pakistan 129-2 ( Saud 44, Rizwan 39) Five from the over. An lbw appeal against Saud who has dropped to his knees. Axar is keen to review, but Rohit is not.
29th over: Pakistan 126-2 ( Saud 43, Rizwan 37)
28th over: Pakistan 121-2 ( Saud 41, Rizwan 34) Shami returns, and the boundaries seem to have freed up Pakistan’s running, and they pick up three singles and a two. In the dugout, Virat Kohli eats a biscuit and chats animatedly.
27th over: Pakistan 116-2 ( Saud 38, Rizwan 32) Rizwan joins the party, clumping Jadeja to the midwicket boundary. A handful of singles – and nine from the over.
26th over: Pakistan 107-2 ( Saud 37, Rizwan 24) Two boundaries! A reverse-sweep, and a conventional sweep by Saud reach the rope. The crowd wake up and the lime shirts find their voice.
25th over: Pakistan 99-2 ( Saud 29, Rizwan 24) A boundary! Rizwan finds the rope at last, sweeping a sunglassed Jadeja on one knee.. Jadeja stops a single off his own bowling by diving athletically to his left. At the half way stage, Pakistan are meandering at less than four an over.
24th over: Pakistan 94-2 ( Saud 28, Rizwan 20) Four singles – the last finishing in a direct hit from cover, which Saud just beats.
23rd over: Pakistan 90-2 ( Saud 23, Rizwan 17) So nearly a four as Saud angles Jadeja (it is he) between backward point and point but the ball slows to a crawl as it approaches the rope. The outfield is pedestrian. India remain 11 minutes behind the clock, but Jadeja (as predicted by Arul) speeds through his first over in two minutes. There have been 47 balls since the last boundary.
22nd over: Pakistan 86-2 ( Saud 23, Rizwan 17) Kuldeep, wayward curls, whirling arms. The crowd are bubbling, they want passion fruit and cream, but are being served bread and cheese. Pakistan take a risky single to a reverse ramp by Saud Shakeel, but short third can’t pick up.
21st over: Pakistan 82-2 ( Saud 21, Rizwan 15) Rizwan advances and yahoos Harshit over cover, but just for a single. The narrative continues as Pakistan play more positively, but continue to pick out the fielders.
Hello Arul Kanhere! “India is behind the clock but have Jadeja’s 10 overs,” So, they’re basically 11 minutes ahead.” The lack of boundaries also helping.
20th over: Pakistan 79-2 ( Saud 20, Rizwan 13) Just two singles from Kuldeep’s second over, as Pakistan’s run-rate drops below four. The 80th dot ball is tapped into the covers by Rizwan.
19th over: Pakistan 77-2 ( Saud 19, Rizwan 12) The wind plucks at the sun umbrellas, as Harshit replaces the excellent Hardik (6-0-18-1), but the parsimonious bowling continues. Pakistan at the moment too fearful to run twos or go for the big shot. Some more strike rotation needed urgently.
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