No ball in today match: Mohammad Nawaz made a costly error under pressure at a point when Pakistan had all but sealed today’s contest.
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Nothing but absolute agony was in store for the Pakistan Cricket team and its passionate fans, after they turned out to be on the wrong side of the result at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during a humdinger of the first ‘Super 12 Group 2’ match of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022 on Sunday.
With team India requiring 28 runs off the final 8 deliveries, it looked like Pakistan would ultimately have it in their bag, until Virat Kohli (82* off 53) then activated his beast mode on, smashing three Sixes post that, and riding on some luck as well, to ultimately see India through with a 4-wicket victory, and get on up and running with the World Cup campaign.
The last Over bowled by Mohammad Nawaz however, was nothing short of a well-scripted drama loaded with breathtaking stuff and entertainment value, with India requiring another 16 runs off it.
No ball in today match
After getting the much-needed breakthrough by dismissing Hardik Pandya (40 off 37) on the first delivery, Nawaz conceded mere 3 runs off the next two balls, to bring the equation to 13 runs required off the final 3 deliveries.
With the situation now titled in Pakistan’s favour, the left-arm spinner then bowled an above waist-height Full Toss, which Kohli just managed to send it past the deep square leg fielder for a Six.
Leg umpire Marais Erasmus, who was initially seen looking at the ball with Kohli pleading for a waist-height No-Ball as soon as he hit the delivery, was on the same page as Kohli a few moments later while adjudging it a No-Ball indeed and above the waist at the point of impact.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam then seemed to have a heated discussion with the umpire post the verdict, but finally had to give in with the explanation the latter had come up with.
Did Mohammad Nawaz bowl a no ball to Virat Kohli in Melbourne World Cup 2022 T20I?
The replays were suggestive of the fact that it was indeed a waist-height No-Ball bowled by Nawaz, although it being a tight call made by the umpire.
At the point of impact of the bat and the ball, the trajectory showed the delivery to be played above the waist of Kohli, enough to be called a No-Ball.
There was further drama in store, as Kohli was then clean bowled by Nawaz off the Free Hit, but much to his delight, the ball managed to ricochet off the stump towards the third man fence, with three runs in the form of Byes being awarded to team India.
With 2 runs required off the last two balls, Dinesh Karthik (1 off 2) then played all over the leg-stump delivery to ultimately get out stumped, courtesy of some smart glove work by wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan.
Under pressure, Nawaz fired a Wide down the leg-side to R Ashwin in next, with the latter hitting the winning runs then off the final delivery with one run required off it.
