12 attempts. Year after year. Match after match. India found a way to take down Pakistan men. Brilliance batting. Bowl out. Pakistan’s Mistakes. Match-winning spells led to Mauka Mauka, but everything had happened years ago, especially, in T20Is. India never met this opening duo in this format, who were turning heads, making milestones for fun.
152 was supposed to be a threatening total. India had won matches by defending lower than that. All they need was an early wicket. Probably, one, two, many.
There was a huge hope when Bhuvneshwar Kumar found that big swing in the first delivery. That delivery was supposed to threaten Rizwan. He was supposed to keep quiet. No, he didn’t. He replied with a flick to four and then a sharp hit to six.
Again, Rizwan didn’t go overboard. He knew he had ten runs in that over and gently dealt with the next three deliveries.
The one thing about the Rizwan-Azam partnership is- they know when to complement each other, and they shuffle well between the anchor and attacking roles.
Azam knew he didn’t have to do much when Rizwan is in full flow. Of course, he is not going to leave those that is in his area, a gorgeous cover drive in the fourth delivery of Shami’s first over is an example of that.
When Jasprit Bumrah and Varun got through their overs quickly, Rizwan and Azam gather for a tiny conversation as they look at the scoreboard. As they waited, Shami gave them a couple of loose deliveries to take advantage. Once again, they didn’t go overboard as they waited for yet another poor delivery and a couple of overs later, they got one from Jadeja and Azam was quick to get it over deep midwicket.
The asking rate moved closer to 8.2 runs per over. As they walked to the ninth over, they wanted to target Varun and an awkward four in his 3rd over, followed by a couple of sixes in his 4th, brought the asking rate down a bit as Varun ended with 0/33. Azam also got to his fifty and took the team past 100 runs as well.
As Rizwan watched Azam pulling spinners, he brought his wonder wrist-pull to get to his fifty off Bumrah. When that shot was an art, his short-arm whip off Shami was more than that.
The asking rate became lesser than six as they kept the scoreboard ticking. When 17 needed from 18, India believed that they still had a chance. Unfortunately, Shami made a mess of a yorker attempt as Rizwan took charge. Six. Shami bowled fullish outside off, Rizwan took it for a boundary and then there was a short-chest high delivery that found the fence. Fullish outside off delivery in the same over which Rizwan chipped to take a couple gave Pakistan men their first win.
Rizwan continues to run while there was a bit of celebration from Azam, the leader of this new era.
As Rizwan and Azam hug in happiness, Azam’s father was in tears, watching his son doing something extraordinary, something that wasn’t achieved before.
