Phew! What a humdinger of a match it was! Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah needed only 2 runs in the last 2 balls and both got out going for the glory and thus India stays alive after this heart-stopping match. Now, the match between India and Australia is going to be a virtual Quarter Final. Bangladesh played brilliantly throughout the match but only the last 3 balls. They executed their plans perfectly. So we should call them a small team. India must learn from this match and the mistakes it made. We were just lucky that we made it through. Dhoni too should be credited for his strong captaincy. Bangladeshi team too shouldn't feel demoralised, they played brilliant cricket. People will never forget this match for years to come.
And it seems fitting when Pandya is the man called upon to bowl the final over. He is virtually mobbed by supportive team-mates when he gets the ball in hand. There are whispers in his ear from Virat Kohli. Dhoni deals out instructions. Ashish Nehra gives advice. Through the course of his walk from long-on to the top of his bowling mark at the opposite end of the ground, Pandya has more arms around him than a 21st-century warlord.
This is all for very little, because in truth, he bowls a poor over. Mushfiqur Rahim is sublimely calm as he drills the second ball through cover. He showcases the wit that made him a former captain when he paddles the next ball past the wicketkeeper for a boundary.
Two runs needed from three balls. Bangladesh have the tournament favourites and their baying home fans by the throat. The World T20's biggest upset is at the tips of their fingers.
But this is the end of their 237 balls of glory. In the seconds after that shot is hit, something profound is lost. Mushfiqur gets in Pandya's face. He flails, he screams, he snarls, he pumps his arms.
In three balls, Bangladesh lose sight of the distance they have come. They forget the captain that has inspired them. In three balls, Bangladesh turn out the light.
Everyone who saw yesterday’s match can testify what a rollercoaster ride it was. Mushfiqur’s timely fours in the final over definitely swung the match our way. Yet the night ended in heartbreak and despair for Bangladeshi fans and Mushfiqur Rahim apologized to the nation for the unprecedented loss.
Bangladesh needed two off three balls to win against India and stay alive in the ICC World Twenty20 yesterday and there were Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah at the crease to win the game.
They were the most experienced batsmen that Bangladesh had to stroke those two runs off the last three balls to create a small piece of history at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Instead they surrendered three wickets and lost the match by one run to bring about widespread dejection in the Bangladesh camp.
The last three balls in this India-Bangladesh game were monumental events that will remain carved in the memory for a long time. Some will recall with pleasure, others with pain. Especially the last ball of that game. Dhoni had to trust his instincts and make a decision in a micro second to whether throw the ball at the stumps with his gloveless hand or just sprint and win a direct one-one race for victory against the non-striker. Was there ever a int'l game when a side lost the game losing three wickets in three balls with two runs to get? I don't think so. And it is a mathematically improbable that we will ever watch it again in our lifetimes. Hands down the moment not just of the Super 10s, but in the history of the T20 world cups. It is already remarkable now that India have reached semis and will look even more stunning if India win the World Cup. If in fact, India win the world cup, expect a Bollywood blockbuster with that last over depicted as a pivotal scene in the movie.
And it seems fitting when Pandya is the man called upon to bowl the final over. He is virtually mobbed by supportive team-mates when he gets the ball in hand. There are whispers in his ear from Virat Kohli. Dhoni deals out instructions. Ashish Nehra gives advice. Through the course of his walk from long-on to the top of his bowling mark at the opposite end of the ground, Pandya has more arms around him than a 21st-century warlord.
This is all for very little, because in truth, he bowls a poor over. Mushfiqur Rahim is sublimely calm as he drills the second ball through cover. He showcases the wit that made him a former captain when he paddles the next ball past the wicketkeeper for a boundary.
Two runs needed from three balls. Bangladesh have the tournament favourites and their baying home fans by the throat. The World T20's biggest upset is at the tips of their fingers.
But this is the end of their 237 balls of glory. In the seconds after that shot is hit, something profound is lost. Mushfiqur gets in Pandya's face. He flails, he screams, he snarls, he pumps his arms.
In three balls, Bangladesh lose sight of the distance they have come. They forget the captain that has inspired them. In three balls, Bangladesh turn out the light.
Everyone who saw yesterday’s match can testify what a rollercoaster ride it was. Mushfiqur’s timely fours in the final over definitely swung the match our way. Yet the night ended in heartbreak and despair for Bangladeshi fans and Mushfiqur Rahim apologized to the nation for the unprecedented loss.
Bangladesh needed two off three balls to win against India and stay alive in the ICC World Twenty20 yesterday and there were Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah at the crease to win the game.
They were the most experienced batsmen that Bangladesh had to stroke those two runs off the last three balls to create a small piece of history at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Instead they surrendered three wickets and lost the match by one run to bring about widespread dejection in the Bangladesh camp.
The last three balls in this India-Bangladesh game were monumental events that will remain carved in the memory for a long time. Some will recall with pleasure, others with pain. Especially the last ball of that game. Dhoni had to trust his instincts and make a decision in a micro second to whether throw the ball at the stumps with his gloveless hand or just sprint and win a direct one-one race for victory against the non-striker. Was there ever a int'l game when a side lost the game losing three wickets in three balls with two runs to get? I don't think so. And it is a mathematically improbable that we will ever watch it again in our lifetimes. Hands down the moment not just of the Super 10s, but in the history of the T20 world cups. It is already remarkable now that India have reached semis and will look even more stunning if India win the World Cup. If in fact, India win the world cup, expect a Bollywood blockbuster with that last over depicted as a pivotal scene in the movie.
0 comments:
Post a Comment