Khaka runs in to bowl. It was fullish and Baig gets it to the wide long-on once again. As Baig completes her shot and before she could turn, One can hear Nida Dar shouting “aaja aaja” from the other end. They try for the second run but Dar fails to make it. She runs directly to the dugout. Dejected. From a half-century to heartbreak, everything happened within a whisker.
Pakistan. On the other end of the result yet another time.
Things went from bad to worse when they had lost against Bangladesh. It was a twist nobody was ready for. Bangladesh plucked the match from Pakistan’s throat to make the match and moment all theirs. This time, frustration was evident and Nida Dar was hard on herself as she didn’t disturb the scoring and had just one wicket that day.
Before they could process things, the team were reminded about the losing streak. More than that streak, the mention of it, had hurt them. It was all-out there. Every single time, every single match whenever they step out, they were reminded of it and was asked about the plans to overcome it. It was brutal.
Nida Dar is the face of this team. Everybody knows it. She knows it. She enjoys being one. She wants to inspire girls and winning was the way to do it but the team wasn’t getting any. Nida Dar couldn’t do much too. It wasn’t her.
Come West Indies. Before they could meet, Hamilton greeted both teams with a shower and reduced the match to a 20-over-a side. With three of the biggest hitters in cricket, West Indies began with an advantage.
Though she struggled initially, Dottin found a way to steal boundaries and she was enjoying it too. Nida Dar, on the other hand, knew it was going to be her day and was desperate to get the ball. She had to wait for eight overs before Bismah turned to her.
She didn’t wait for long and with the ball, she made Dottin walkout. Of course, it wasn’t like she came up with a ball of the century kind of stuff. It was just the belief and backing oneself.
A length ball and Dottin chipped it back to her and she completed the catch with the iconic Afridi celebration.
Four singles and a run-out chance later, Nida Dar found an opening. This time, slower delivery outside off. Campbelle misses it and Nawaz did the rest.
In between spin and the illusion that the ball would spin, Nation remained numb for the next four deliveries. Pakistan kept things quiet and exactly 12 deliveries later, Dar found her mojo once again. Unfortunately, Knight couldn’t be the knight, blame Nida’s magic or Nashra.
**
Everybody knows Henry. Henry likes to hit. She did that Dar in the first delivery she faced only to find Riaz at the long-on, who took it in the second attempt. Henry could do nothing but smile in disbelief.
4-0-10-4. Career-best figures. Still, she knew that the job wasn’t over. She had seen the script just a few days ago. While Pakistan were batting and during the final moments, when the team seemed relaxed, Dar was nervous. She was shaking. The climate was one thing but she was visibly nervous. Usually, it would be the other way around. Her teammates would feel the pressure and she would crack jokes.
As the team finally crossed the line, Dar took a moment. Even when her teammates hugged her, she was still processing. After all, it would end the streak and all the talks around it.
Days ago, ‘Good teams make a comeback and we are a good team’, Nida Dar said and rightly so.
