That is that
We leave you with a teaser from the final report that will be up soon. Thanks for joining us.
"Mohammad Nawaz stunned India with the bat after helping restrict their rampant start with the ball to give Pakistan a thrilling win in their Super 4 match against India. A week India chased down successfully in a thrilling finish, Paksitan returned the favour, asking India to bat and getting home with with just one ball to spare.
Aware of the historic advantage for the chasing sides in Dubai, India batted ultra aggressively in the first half but they kept losing wickets, which meant Virat Kohli, making significant moves towards his best with a 44-ball 60, had to play a little cautiously in the second half. On a belter, despite the good start, Pakistan conceded just 88 in the last 10.
Mohammad Rizwan anchored the chase with 71 off 51, but it was Nawaz who provided the desperately needed impetus. Promoted to No. 4, he smashed 42 off 20 balls to put Pakistan back on track. Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah then saw them home but not without a flutter."
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66
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9
Pakistan win with one ball to spare
It was high drama after an early boundary brought the equation down to five off four balls. Arshdeep Singh bowled two dots, trapped, Asif Ali lbw, making it two off two, but Iftikhar Ahmed pounced on an error in length and hitting it back over the bowler's head for two.
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83
30
17
Bhuvneshwar's costly over
19 Number of runs Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded in the 19th over, his second-most expensive over at death in T20Is
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55
32
52
Seven needed off the last over
Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 19th over goes for 19 runs as Asif Ali lines him up and hits a six over long-on with Khushdil Shah too getting a boundary later. Now Arshdeep Singh has to defend six, and India have an extra fielder in because of slow over-rate.
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42
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Bishnoi 4-0-26-1
Ravi Bishnoi bowled one over in the powerplay and another at the death and conceded just 26 runs. The 18th has gone for just eight, leaving Pakistan 26 to get off the last two, a 35% chance of winning.
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30
4
14
Watch out for over-rate
4 Number of minutes India were behind the desired over-rate at the end of the 17th over.
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59
18
35
Pakistan's middle order
From Shiva Jayaraman, just to put Mohammad Nawaz's innings in perspective.
"Mohammad Nawaz has played an innings of quality expected out of an ideal middle-order batter in T20s, and of the kind that has been rare for Pakistan in T20Is in recent years. A strong top-order has meant that their middle-order batters haven’t had too many opportunities to play innings like Nawaz’. There have been only 35 innings of 15 or more balls from their batters at No. 4 or lower against full-member teams in T20Is in the last-three years (46 matches). Before today only two of those innings came at a strike-rate of 175 or higher (5.7%). In terms of such conversions only Bangladesh had done worse than Pakistan during this period (3 out of 71, 4.2%). India have been the best team in this regard with 21 such innings out of 76 from their batters at No.4 or lower. Also, India’s middle-order has also got more opportunities to play such innings given their top three haven’t been at their best. Nawaz’ innings is of the exact type that Pakistan have been missing from their batting, and the timing of it hasn’t been too bad. And from an unlikely No. 4 at that."
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Rizwan gone, India in it
Hardik Pandya keeps bowling wide to Mohammad Rizwan, who is looking to go across and access the leg side. Eventually he tries to go over the off side, and toe-ends a wide delivery straight to long-off. Gone for 71 off 51. That win probability has fallen from 71 to 55%. Two new batters in the middle.
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When will Ravi Bishnoi bowl?
Like the last match with the over from Mohammad Nawaz, India have one left from Ravi Bishnoi, who has gone for 3-0-18-1 including an over in the powerplay. He has had a good night, but bowling at the death is a different proposition altogether. Needing 36 off 20, Pakistan are 71% favourites to win. One over each for Bhuvneshwar, Arshdeep and Bishnoi.
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Bhuvneshwar gets Nawaz
Just as Pakistan seem to be running away with the chase, Bhuvneshwar Kumar keeps them alive by getting out the dangerous Mohammad Nawaz. It is a slower offcutter, bowled into the pitch, and Nawaz just can't find enough distance on the drive down the ground. Caught at long-off for 42 off 20, a superb innings. Pakistan still 66% favourites to win.
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25
7
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Fifty for Rizwan
After a slow, frustrating start, Mohammad Rizwan has made up in the middle overs, bringing up his fifty in 37 balls. He has gone from 13 off 14 to 50 off 37.
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59
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Nawaz's promotion
Mohammad Nawaz has been promoted to No. 4, and he has infused some much-needed urgency into the innings. He is 20 off nine with sixes off Hardik Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi. They are 32% favourites now with 86 required in the last eight. Eight wickets in hand.
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35
14
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Stifled Fakhar falls
India don't have the pace that Pakistan do but they have been superb with their defensive bowling, stifling the Pakistan top order, staying away from their hitting areas. Fakhar Zaman repeatedly tried to hit out, but the spinners kept denying him with changes of length and pace. He was 15 off 17 when he have Yuzvendra Chahal the charge, but the ball dipped on him and he was nowhere near the pitch of the ball. And he was under immense strike-rate pressure by now and couldn't afford to abort. All he managed was to hole out to long-on. Pakistan 67 for 2 in nine overs.
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29
8
13
India tidy in powerplay
A few slower balls, bowling into the pitch, using the spinner's over, and India have conceded just 44 in the powerplay. That makes India 75%b favourites to win according to our Forecaster.
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33
14
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Babar's lean patch
8 Number of under-20 innings for Babar Azam in his last 10 T20I innings. In 25 T20I innings before, he was dismissed below 20 only six times
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27
3
14
19
27
8
24
Bishnoi gets Babar Azam early
A tight tight call on the no-ball. Babar Azam just chips a wrong'un to short midwicket off Ravi Bishnoi, but the real action is at the no-ball replay. No clear view from the side-on angle, which we have only one of. The other angle doesn't exactly look conclusive. It is called a fair delivery. Superb start for him inside the powerplay. Pakistan 22 for 12 after four overs.
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7
7
India get to 181
Seven extra runs conceded by Fakhar Zaman's fielding in the last over, but this has been an exceptional effort from Pakistan after the start that India got. Just 88 in the last 10 over thanks to the falling wickets and Kohli having to bat with extra responsibility. In the end he was even turning down singles with Bhuvneshwar Kumar at the other end. Looking at the conditions, there wasn't much evidence of the pitch slowing down.
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51
14
18
Fifty for Kohli
He's back. Batting through not at 130 but above 140. The fifty comes with a six over midwicket off the 36th ball he faces. He has been superb against pace on a pitch that the ball is coming on. This is what India are hopeful of in Australia where he should have pace and bounce to work with. India 164 for 5 with two to go.
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74
26
16
Shadab 4-0-31-2
Mohammad Rizwan is back on his feet, and Shadab Khan bowls a superb 16th over with zero boundaries off it. The spinners have bowled eight overs between them for just 56 runs. Have Pakistan missed a trick by now bowling an over or two of part-time spin when Virat Kohli was going strong? India 140 for 5 with four overs to go. Kohli has a great strike-rate in this phase of play of T20 cricket. He is 44 off 31.
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27
16
15
Rizwan in pain
Pakistan get Hardik Pandya early, caught at midwicket, but immediately after Mohammad Rizwan lands awkwardly on his heel when trying to prevent byes and comes down like he is shot. Apologies for the imagery, but it is painful to watch the way he comes down. Long treatment for him on the field. India 135 for 5 in 14.5 overs.
18
27
9
14
Pace off, brakes on
51 Number of runs off seven overs of spin in the first seven overs. Pace has gone for 75 in the other seven.
6
22
8
8
Pant gone, but India keep marching on
Rishabh Pant falls to a top edge on the reverse sweep off Shadab Khan, but Virat Kohli has looked in good touch at the other end, especially against pace. India 126 for 4 in 14 overs.
Spin has gone for just 51 in seven overs. Seventy-five off seven overs of pace.
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17
6
8
14
26
10
11
Nawaz 4-0-25-1
Amid the carnage, Mohammad Nawaz has been superb in conceding just 25 in four overs, including the one he bowled during the powerplay. And he finished off his spell even with the left-hand batter Rishabh Pant in the middle. India 105 for 3 in 12 overs.
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15
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5
Live by the sword, die by it
Suryakumar Yadav starts his seventh out of 24 T20I innings with a boundary, but the spin is not proving that easy to hit. Both Suryakumar and Virat Kohli are trying but there has been a bit of a pullback from the spinners. Suryakumar goes to his favourite sweep shot, and is looking for a six taking on deep square leg, but he gets just a top edge. India 91 for 3 in 9.4 overs.
Rishabh Pant comes in at No. 5. How will Pakistan manage Mohammad Nawaz now?
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17
13
15
Rahul goes too
India's intent is clear. KL Rahul is looking to hit a six off the first ball after powerplay. And he has picked the wrong'un from Shadab Khan, and is always looking to go leg side. It seems, though, that he has got too close to the pitch of the ball and doesn't attain the required elevation. Caught at long-on. India 62 for 2 in 6.1 overs.
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27
9
18
Rohit Sharma out to a superb catch from Khushdil
Haris Rauf finally gets his slower ball at the right length, just short of a length. It is a measure of how hard they are going that Rohit Sharma's mis-hit goes miles in the air. Fakhar Zaman and Khushdil Shah both are trying to catch it, and there doesn't seem to be a call of mine.
Fakhar doesn't seem to be aware of Khushdil, but Khushdil is. Fakhar goes for it and lets it slip perhaps aware of a possible collision. But Khushdil never takes his eyes off, his hands are in the right position, and the ball settles in.
Rohit is gone at 54 for 1. India's second-quickest fifty when batting first in T20Is.
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8
8
16
6
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5
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India on the attack
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4
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6
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6
This is an assault from both ends now. Seems like they have decided this pitch is flat and they are going to need a big total to defend here. They are not waiting for the ball here. Even the good ones going. An example being the perfectly example short-of-a-length ball at 146ks from Mohammad Hasnain, which Rohit Sharma drove over mid-off.
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Rohit hits the ground running
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Rohit Sharma shows early intent against Naseem Shah. Gives him the charge early and carves him over cover-point. And then waits for the shorter delivery, and plays the pick-up pull over square leg.
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28
9
17
India inserted, pick two leggies
Babar Azam has won the toss for Pakistan and done what you do in Dubai: ask the opposition to have a bat. They have made just the one forced change, bringing in Mohammad Hasnain for the injured Shahnawaz Dahani.
India have made interesting changes to their XI, but the top three are left untouched. Going by the batting order, Rishabh Pant gets the nod ahead of Dinesh Karthik, which means Hardik Pandya will have to be the finisher. Ravindra Jadeja's replacement is not like for like. Deepak Hooda plays ahead of Axar Patel, which puts more bowling onus on Pandya.
That's not all the extra load that Pandya has to carry. He is also the third seamer in this XI as India have played two specialist spinners. Even there they have gone for Ravi Bishnoi, the legspinner, ahead of R Ashwin, the offspinner.
India 1 Rohit Sharma (capt.), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Rishabh Pant(wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Deepak Hooda, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal
Pakistan 1 Babar Azam (capt.), 2 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Iftikhar Ahmed, 5 Khushdil Shah, 6 Shadab Khan, 7 Asif Ali, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Mohammad Hasnain
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28
16
16
T20 Timeout
13
17
6
7
Keeper watch
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8
4
5
Coach backs big player
"For us, it's not really about looking at how many runs he makes. I know that especially with Virat people get a bit obsessed with his statistics and his numbers. For us, it's about the contributions he can make in different phases in the game and what the contribution is. It doesn't have to be in fifties or hundreds or a stat. Even small contributions mean a lot in T20 cricket, what is the role of a player and what the team needs."
Rahul Dravid on Virat Kohli
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2
That's a thought
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India vs Pakistan, Act II
This is round two. India and Pakistan have made it out of the first round, and are head to head in a more consequential match. This is round robin of four; every match is crucial. Since the last time they met, India have lost Ravindra Jadeja and Pakistan Shahnawaz Dahani.
Avesh Khan had fever yesterday so not sure if he will play. This could be an opportunity for India to get R Ashwin in with Hardik Pandya playing the role of the third quick. Jadeja should be replaced by Axar Patel. But you never know if they go with Deepak Hooda. Either Mohammad Hasnain or Hasan Ali should come in for Dahani.
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