5 min readOct 28, 2022 10:43 AM IST
First published on: Oct 23, 2022 at 10:06 PM IST
106 needed off 54
Over 11.1 Nawaz to Pandya, 6
The pair of Kohli and Pandya had been in the middle for five overs but India were still crawling at below five runs an over. It was the 12th over bowled by Axar Patel that had gone for 21 and revived the Pakistan innings. Pandya began the 12th of the India innings from Mohammad Nawaz, also a left-arm spinner, with the first six of the partnership. Nawaz began by going wide of the crease and firing it in at Pandya to try and cramp him for room. But the all-rounder created space by moving outside leg stump and swatted the ball over deep midwicket.
99 needed off 51
11.4 Nawaz to Kohli, 6
Kohli would later say that India had wanted to hit Nawaz out of the attack at that point; it was his third over then, and his first two had gone for just nine runs. Kohli was on 15 off 24 and had just missed a flatter delivery fired into his pads, which had brought an unsuccessful review for caught-behind from Pakistan. This ball had some flight, and as soon as he saw that, Kohli jumped out. There hadn’t been much turn for Nawaz, and Kohli moved inside the line to smoke it cleanly a few rows over the long-on boundary.
92 needed off 49
11.6 Nawaz to Pandya, 6
India had already taken 14 off five deliveries from this Nawaz over. But they were set on making sure they wouldn’t see Nawaz again until the very end. Pandya was already cocked in his stance as Nawaz delivered, ready to uncoil into another almighty swing. This time Nawaz went much straighter; perhaps the previous Pandya hit to deep midwicket was on his mind. But even Pandya went straighter now, getting the front leg out of the way in his open stance and almost drag-flicking the ball beyond the long-on fence with incredible bat-speed. The Indian chase had finally sparked to life.
48 needed off 18
17.1 Afridi to Kohli, 4
The premier Pakistan pacers had returned and made the going difficult for India. Haris Rauf and Naseem Sham gave away just six runs each in the 16th and 17th overs, and the asking-rate had catapulted to 16. Shaheen Shah Afridi began the 18th over from round the wicket straightaway, looking to deny Kohli any width. He began with a short delivery around off stump but the ball kind of sat up. Kohli got on top of the bounce and muscled the pull so well that it nearly carried full into the deep midwicket rope, bouncing a mere inches in front.
41 needed off 16
17.3 Afridi to Kohli, 4
Kohli was eyeing the unmanned deep extra cover region now, with the two off-side boundary riders away at deep point and long-off. Afridi was still coming in from round the stumps, but perhaps anticipating that the length would be fuller after the first four, Kohli made some room outside leg stump. The ball arrived as a low full toss, and Kohli, knowing he only had to clear the man in the ring at extra cover, slice-drove the ball in the air. Even as the bottom hand came off the bat, the ball had been timed well enough to beat all three fielders who pursued it.
35 needed off 13
17.6 Afridi to Kohli, 4
After those twin fours in the over, Afridi had switched to over the wicket. Kohli, meanwhile, took a step across in his stance, with his back foot outside off stump, and opened up. He wanted another crack off the last ball of the over. It arrived short again, but around middle and leg stump with the changed angle. But Kohli was in position to swivel nicely and swing the ball wide of short fine leg. As he walked towards Pandya pointing a finger in told-you-so fashion, Suryakumar Yadav burst into a smile and got on his feet to applaud in the dugout.
28 needed off 8
18.5 Rauf to Kohli, 6
The euphoria of the Afridi over had evaporated as just three runs came off the first four balls of the 19th from Haris Rauf. Kohli had determined that he had to hit the remaining two balls for sixes for India to have any chance in the last over. He waited in the crease, prepared to deal with the full as well as short lengths. But Rauf bowled a back of a length slower one. It is the hardest length to try a straight hit off. But Kohli was properly in the zone, and somehow almost top-spin tennis-forehanded it over the sightscreen. The shot of the match.
22 needed off 7
18.6 Rauf to Kohli, 6
Kohli saw third man was in the circle and expected back of a length again. The possibility that Rauf could double-bluff was also on his mind. And he was also eyeing fine leg. So he took a smaller across step to middle stump and waited. Rauf went back of a length again but there was more angle to play with this time, as the ball was slanted in towards middle and leg. Kohli slid his back foot outside leg and in the same motion flicked the ball into the crowd beyond fine leg. KL Rahul and Suryakumar couldn’t have played a better pick-up.
Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya in action against Pakistan. (AP) 
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