Live Cricket Score - India vs Pakistan, Match 16, ICC T20 World Cup 2022 (2024)

India clinch the final-ball thriller!

What an incredible finish to this exceptional fixture. 16 needed off the final over and only left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz to bowl. He bowled with a long run up with Rizwan standing back to deny the Indian pair of Kohli and Hardik to get a win. Hardik fell first ball trying to hit big. Next two balls fetched a single and a double, taking India's equation to 13 off last 3 balls. Nawaz then bowled a high full toss that Kohli deposited over deep square leg and the umpire ruled it a no ball. So the equation came down to 6 off 3. The next ball Kohli was foxed but the ball hit the stumps and ran down to the third man. As the ball was a free hit delivery, the dismissal didn't count.

The equation was down to 3 off 2 and then Dinesh Karthik got out stumped. The equation was now 2 off 1 and R Ashwin let a leg side ball go down and it was 1 off 1. Then the field came up and a calm Ashwin hit one over mid off to complete a phenomenal chase. What scenes! Indian players crowd Kohli, Rohit picks him up, and it appears Kohli is in tears. What a finish!

India need 16 off 6...

What a finish we have on our hands. India have dwarfed the 48 off 18 equation to 31 off 12 and now to 16 off 6. The 19th over was turning Pakistan's way as Haris Rauf kept up his pace and control, but erred on the very last two balls. First a slow bouncer that Kohli saw through and hit for a straight six. And then a leg-side ball has been deposited over fine leg for another six. 16 to get from 6 with Nawaz to bowl...

Fifty for Kohli but India's chase equation tricky...

Virat Kohli pulls a Shaheen Afridi delivery to get his half-century but the equation - 48 off 18 - is tricky for India, considering Haris Rauf still has one over left.

Hardik, Kohli shift gears...

Eerily, they do it in the 12th over too (Remember, the 21-run Axar Patel over?). Pakistan's left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz was at the receiving end this time - getting hit for three sixes in the over. Are the tables about to turn?

India are four down!

The Axar Patel experiment at #5 is a failure. Not because the left-hander couldn't play hit shots, but because of a miscommuncation with Kohli on a run. A bit of a yes-no while trying to pinch a single and Kohli sent him back. Axar turned around, dashed back and even put in a dive but he was caught short. Pakistan only just picked the wicket there because Rizwan didn't collect the ball cleanly and seemed to have broken the stumps with his hands. But replays showed that the ball ricocheted off his glove and hit the stumps. The bail lit up and was out of the groove before Rizwan could break the stumps with his hands. So the TV umpire ruled in Pakistan's favour. It was a close call but went Pakistan's way.

Suryakumar Yadav falls!

MCG has been silenced! Pakistan are ecstatic! And why shouldn't they be? Haris Rauf has taken out India's current best T20 batter with a mean short ball. Suryakumar looked to adjust last minute by swaying back and lapping the ball over the slip cordon but the bounce was steep and an edge went to Rizwan behind the stumps.

When India fans say 'over to Kohli', they truly mean it...

Virat Kohli before today... ©AFP

India 10 for 2...

Rohit Sharma is gone! He's poked at one from Haris Rauf just outside the offstump and Iftikhar Ahmed grabbed a sharp catch. Early trouble for the chasing side here. Over to Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav!

Naseem Shah strikes early...

And out goes KL Rahul. It was a nervy start from India's openers - sort of taking stock of how the ball was behaving for the Pakistan quicks. Rahul here ended up being too tentative on a forward defence and ended up playing the ball onto the stumps. This chase is not going to be easy by any stretch of imagination - India are 7 for 1.

Pakistan finish on 159/8

Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed got fifties, India pushed back hard with wickets through the middle but they've conceded 53 off the last five overs to let Pakistan post 159 for 8. At one stage, Pakistan were looking at a sub-140 total so they'd go into the break thinking they've got enough for a win here.

Quality meme here...

Pakistan get a late move on...

Shaheen Afridi can swing his bat too! He's smashed Arshdeep over deep square leg and Pakistan have pushed past 150!

Arshdeep returns to pick a third

This is exceptional bowling pressure from India. They endured a mini-assault in the middle and hit back even stronger. After Hardik dismantled the middle-order, Arshdeep returned to pick out the dangerous Asif Ali to complete the collapse. Pakistan are now seven down and staring at a below par total.

Hardik Pandya clearly loves playing Pakistan in this format

Hardik Pandya against Pakistan ©

Another one for Hardik!

India's sixth bowler is doing the trick. Once again its his hard length that does the trick. Mohammad Nawaz surveyed the field and looked to make room and cut a ball towards third man but could only faintly nick it to Dinesh Karthik behind.

We know the feeling, Marnus!

Hardik Pandya strikes twice!

Two identical wickets for the India pacer as he works his hard length skills on Shadab Khan and Haider Ali. The two hole out straight to Suryakumar Yadav at long on and deep midwicket. Suddenly, Pakistan are five down!

Iftikhar Ahmed flies, Iftikhar Ahmed falls

6 0 6 6 0 3 - what a way to signal Pakistan's shift of gears than an over like this worth 21 runs. Iftikhar absolutely carted Axar Patel around in his first over, hitting straight sixes at will! He got to a half-century on the way, getting Pakistan's scoring rate up. Rohit Sharma brought back Shami and the move worked perfectly. The pacer went full, straight and fast and trapped the right-hander leg before. Iftikhar walks off having done his job with a 34-ball 51.

A third? Almost...

India thought they had another when Shan Masood top-edged a pull against a Shami bouncer towards Ashwin at fine leg. The offie dived forward and seemed to have got his big palms under the ball, but replays showed that the ball had just bounced before going into his hands. Masood lives to die another day.

Moving on?

Whisper it slowly, Pakistan fans. Shan Masood is leading the revival here, in the company of Iftikhar Ahmed. Long way to go still because India have been excellent with the ball and they've got options. The scoring rate is still under six, which is almost criminal in T20s these days, but at least Pakistan have a partnership going for now.

STAT:Only the third time in 49 T20Is since Jan 2021 both Babar & Rizwan has been dismissed for single figure scores.

Sorry, that made me chuckle!

Mohammad Rizwan is gone now!

An incredible test is coming up for Pakistan's faltering middle-order as the bedrock of their batting has been broken already, and we're only in the fourth over. It's Arshdeep again to make the break through. Rizwan played and missed a few beautiful full deliveries that shaped away from him so when he saw the left-armer go a little short, his eyes lit up. But Arshdeep's delivery was quick and he got hurried by the pace, top-edging an attempted pull to the fine leg fielder. 15 for 2!

Arshdeep is spitting fire

He's not necessarily express pace but the two batters are currently dancing to his tunes. Swing for him is trouble for the Pakistan duo. They need a shackles-breaking over somewhere here.

What a start for Arshdeep!

Arshdeep fetches a wicket off the first ball he has ever bowled in a World Cup. Definitely no nerves there as he pitches this up on a good length and swings it back to Babar Azam, who misses it completely to get hit on the pad. That looked plumb instantly as the finger goes up. Pakistan lose a massive wicket very early in the game. Babar also takes a review with him back to the pavilion.

Pressure, pressure Pakistan!

Great start for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Pinged Rizwan on his glove, making the opener wince a little in pain. There's some swing too. Not a run off the bat in the first six balls - account opened with a wide.

A match-up to watch early on?

Can Rizwan get the better of Hardik and Bhuvneshwar? ©AFP

Thoughts on the line-ups...

Ashwin has made it ahead of Chahal for perhaps two reasons. 1. Pakistan's openers - the bedrock of that team's batting - has struggled against offspin and 2. Ashwin gives batting cushion at #8. That's crucial when the team aims to go hell for leather from the start and till the end. Shami without much game time is interesting, but he looked match-ready in the one over against Australia in the warm-ups.

Pakistan's line-up is along expected lines. Will be interesting to see how Shaheen Afridi goes too, having just returned from his lengthy injury layoff.

India XI:Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami

Pakistan XI: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Haider Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah

TOSS: India win toss, opt to bowl first. R Ashwin and Mohammed Shami make it to India's XI.

Some early hints at who India might pick? We think so...

Prelude - India. Pakistan. World Cup. MCG

Hello and good morning! Yes, you've arrived at THAT day. It's India vs Pakistan in a World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Bring out the popcorn bags, settle into that couch and believe the hype - even if there is so much more to this annual ICC fixture between two very good sides. But be mindful, patience is key this evening for rains have lashed parts of Australia, even causing flooding. The forecast for rain in Melbourne was at around 82% a week ago, which meant a game was out of question. But it has improved, so there's some optimism of a game, even if a truncated one. The stickler is there's rain predicted right at the start of the game, so we're in for a bit of delay.

Let's forget about the impending rain a little and focus on the game. India and Pakistan in a World Cup has been the broadcaster's dream, and they are hardly subtle about it. So here we are on the first sunday of the Super 12s getting ready for Rohit-v-Babar. But if you look beyond the obvious rivalry narratives, there are far more layers to peel and find a different gravy of intrigue, as our man in Melbourne Kaushik R puts it in this excellent preview.