Pakistan come out with flying colours in big semi-final test against New Zealand in ICC T20 World Cup 2022
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Pakistan Cricket Team
There is a difference between cramming for exams, failing, and having to quickly take a re-test. This is the way Pakistan has performed in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. They got poor marks in the early stages of the tournament. And when the time came for them to prep up and pep up, they did it like champions. On Wednesday, at the SCG, Pakistan invoked the spirit of 1992 and came out with flying colors in the semi-final exam against New Zealand.
Having cleared this test, they await the final test, on Sunday. Will it be India in their syllabus or England, we will get to know after the second semi-final on Thursday in Adelaide. Be rest assured, the performance from Pakistan, matched the way North India and adjoining Nepal were jolted by the earthquake in the wee hours of Wednesday.
No words will suffice for the efforts put in by Pakistan. They were the underdogs but you have to give them credit for the way they performed like toppers in an exam, having not mugged up the subject but gone through the entire syllabus in an exhaustive manner. After all, beating the seemingly unbeatable Kiwis in the semi-final was emphatic and energetic. If the Pakistan bowlers showed they have a large heart, the biggest flaw in their batting line-up, the opening combo, was back on fire. Yes, skipper Babar Azam and Mohd Rizwan patched a century partnership for the first wicket, a sign of what is to come.
Viewed dispassionately, Pakistan has played with heart and hormones. Their performance was filled with “Josh” and they must have been happy to see that tweet from Imran Khan on Wednesday, their former national political leader and skipper of the 1992 campaign. If Imran was the epitome of leadership in 1992, then Babar Azam has faced criticism like a student asked to sit in the corner of his class by his teacher. Just that, when the time came for Babar to bat, he showed he was more than ready for the big test.
You have to be a fan of Pakistan if you are an ardent cricket lover. Agreed, they are India’s bitter rivals but they play with a rare blend of purpose, poise, and potency to post the best win when needed. To be sure, their bowling coach Shaun Tait has also been baiting people on social media. If all that could fire up Pakistan, the effort and results were there to see in Sydney where a Sea of Green dotted the stands.
Does this send shivers down the spine of the Indian cricket team? Yes, it does. If Rohit Sharma needed a rap on his knuckles for his poor performance till now in the World Cup, he took a blow on his arm at the nets on Tuesday. He was back to bat, later. The same happened with Virat Kohli on Wednesday, though he did not deserve any kind of rap. He has been in the zone like a rap singer in rhapsody. Kohli, too, came back to face the throw-down at the nets after the injury on his arm.
Were these blows to the two batsmen a kind of symbolic wake-up call, time will tell. First things first, Pakistan put in a massive team effort, with Shaheen Shah Afridi impressing with his bowling. What stood out was Pakistan did not get intimidated by anything and that they were lucky to come back from the brink in the league phase. If Sunday brought life back into their campaign, on Wednesday they showed renewed vigor as a team.
India bound to feel the pressure against England at Sydney in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022
The result in Sydney will have a bearing in Adelaide on Thursday when India meets England. Team India has been hyped, but there is no way they can take seasoned England lightly. Jos Buttler and his experienced bunch have enough firepower in all departments to more than match India. Their bowling runs deep and they have as many as seven bowlers for possible use.
As far as batting goes, they have tons of experience and a solid middle order to step up, if needed. David Malan may be a question mark but there are other options. As regards fielding, England has demonstrated what they can produce even when underfoot conditions are wet. After all, they play in a country where rain is so common during cricket matches.
The psychological warfare on India versus Pakistan began long ago. Round one has gone to Pakistan as they are already in the final. Now, it’s up to India to step up and show they are good not just for the weekly tests but for the semester ending the last two rounds. After all, beating England will be just one part of it.
There are problems for Team India, where Rohit Sharma knows he has been a poor performer. Once you bat well at the top in Power Play, it makes so much difference. India has relied on the magic of Kohli, the firepower of SKY — Surya Kumar Yadav — and the late blossoming of KL Rahul. The wicket-keeping cum batters slot may look like a toss-up between Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik. Ideally, it should be Pant as he played the last match and he has been prepared for the big match. Youth should get preference over experience as DK’s keeping has been shaky.
The bowling options are being kept close to the heart. Understandable that as playing England is not easy in a match of this stature. The pressure is on Rohit and Rahul Dravid. They know they have to deliver. If not, comparisons will be made with the rivals across the border. See, how equations change so fast in T20 cricket!
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)