T20 World Cup: Kohli India's hero as Pakistan falter in final over
- Master batter helps India cross the finish line with unbeaten 82
MELBOURNE: An unbeaten 82 from Virat Kohli led India to a stunning last-ball win over Pakistan to supercharge their bid for a first Twenty20 World Cup crown since 2007 in front of 90,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.
The world number one Indians restricted their fierce rivals to 159-8 and scraped home by four wickets after a remarkable final over, with superstar Kohli the hero.
It looked to be going badly wrong for India as they struggled to just 45-4 off 10 overs, halfway through their chase.
But Kohli and Hardik Pandya (40) launched a fightback with a century stand that left India needing 16 off the final over from a nervous Mohammad Nawaz, who peppered it with wides and no-balls to help them to their target.
Victory was critical in a group that also includes South Africa, Bangladesh and qualifiers Zimbabwe and the Netherlands, with only the top two making the semi-finals.
India have largely dominated Pakistan since the late 1990s but had lost two of their three previous clashes including by 10 wickets in the group phase at last year's T20 World Cup and the recent Asia Cup.
But India had been in good recent form, winning home series against Australia and South Africa, riding on the success of their batting line-up.
Few sporting rivalries match the passion of India-Pakistan and the atmosphere was electric as Pakistan got off to a stuttering start after being sent in to bat with captain Babar Azam out lbw for a golden duck to Arshdeep Singh.
Azam reviewed, but it was plumb in front, with Singh's swing causing more carnage in his next over when Mohammad Rizwan (4) top-edged a rising ball to Bhuvneshwar Kumar at fine leg.
Masood survived a narrow run out appeal as he and Ahmed worked to rebuild the innings.
They reached 60-2 at the halfway mark then Ahmed flicked a switch when the slow bowlers came on, hitting Ravi Ashwin for six then plundering three more in one over from Axar Patel.
Ahmed reached his half-century before Mohammed Shami trapped him lbw, sparking a collapse with Pandya snaring Shadab Khan, Haider Ali and Mohammad Nawaz in the space of 19 runs.
India also had a horror start with KL Rahul out in the first over to Naseem Shah, dragging the ball onto his stumps, then Ahmed took a blinding catch at slip to remove skipper Rohit Sharma (4) off Haris Rauf.
That brought Suryakumar Yadav, arguably the best T20 batsman in the world, to the crease but he only lasted eight balls, caught behind for a whirlwind 16 off Rauf as the Pakistan fans roared in celebration.
When Patel was run out in the next over, India were reeling at 31-4.
Kohli started slowly but finally found his groove and with Pandya started launching a fightback, hitting three sixes in one over off Nawaz.
They still needed 60 runs with five overs remaining. With 28 needed off eight balls Kohli smashed two sixes off Haris Rauf to leave 16 from the final over.
In a chaotic, breathless final over, Kohli hit another six off a no-ball, then ran three after being bowled off the following free hit.
With two runs needed Dinesh Karthik was stumped down the leg side, a wide then levelled the scores and Ashwin hit the winning run off the final ball.
Score updates
INDIA INNINGS
That's single: India win by 4 wickets.
WIDE: Scores are level.
India need 2 runs on the last ball.
India - 158/6 in 19.5 overs.
WICKET: Karthik stumped on the penultimate ball.
India - 158/5 in 19.4 overs.
Three runs taken on the free-hit.
SIX: Kohli hits no-ball for a six. Oh, it's a no-ball. A free-hit.
WICKET: Nawaz gets Hardik Pandya. He departs for 40.
Nawaz bowls the final over.
India - 144/4 in 19 overs.
SIX: Another six.
SIX: Kohli hits Rauf for a six.
India - 129/4 in 18 overs.
FOUR: Kohli pulls Shaheen for the third boundary in the over.
FOUR: Kohli hits Shaheen over cover for another four.
FOUR: Kohli pulls Shaheen four a boundary.
India - 112/4 in 17 overs.
India - 106/4 in 16 overs.
India brings up 100 in 15 overs.
India - 100/4 in 15 overs.
FOUR: Kohli flicks Naseem Shah for a boundary.
India - 90/4 in 14 overs.
FOUR: Virat Kohli cuts Shadab for a four.
India - 83/4 in 13 overs.
Four: Virat flicks Shaheen Afridi for a four.
India - 74-4 in 12 overs.
SIX: Hardik Pandya tonks Nawaz for another six.
India - 67-4 in 11.4 overs.
SIX: Kohli hits Nawaz over his head for a huge six.
India - 60/4 in 11.13overs.
SIX: Hardik hits Mohammad Nawaz for a massive six.
India - 54/4 in 11 overs.
FOUR: Hardik drives Shadab Khan for four.
India - 45/4 in 10 overs.
India - 38/4 in 8 overs
India - 33/4 in 7 overs.
India - 31/4 in 6.1 overs.
WICKET: Axar Patel runs himself out.
India - 31/3 in 6 overs
India - 26/3 in 5.3 overs.
WICKET: Haris Rauf gets Surya Kumar Yadav. He departs for 15.
India 22/2 in 5 overs
India - 17/2 in 4 overs.
Four: Yadav drives Rauf for a four.
WICKET: Haris Rauf gets Rohit Sharma. He departs for 4.
India - 10/1 in 3 overs.
India - 7/1 in 1.5 overs.
WICKET: Naseem Shah gets a big wicket. KL Rahul departs for 4.
India - 7/0 in 1.4 overs.
India - 5/0 in 1 over.
Pakistan set a 160-run target for India.
Pakistan - 159/8 in 20 overs.
SIX: Haris Rauf opens his account with a six.
Pakistan - 151/8 in 19.2 overs.
WICKET: Bhuvneshwar removes Shaheen Afridi. He departs at 16.
Pakistan - 149/7 in 19 overs.
FOUR: Shaheen drives him for a four.
SIX: Shaheen pulls Arshdeep Singh for a massive six.
Pakistan - 135/7 in 18 overs.
Four: Shan drives Shami for another four.
Four: Shan Masood finds the gap.
Pakistan - 120/7 in 16.3 overs.
WICKET: Arshdeep gets Asif Ali.
Pakistan - 116/6 16 in 16.
Nawaz departs after scoring two boundaries off Hardik.
Pakistan - 98/5 in 14 overs.
WICKET: Hardik removes Haider Ali for 2.
Pakistan - 96/4 .in 13.2overs.
WICKET: Hardik gets Shadab Khan. He departs at 5.
Pakistan - 96/3 in 13 overs.
FOUR: Shadab drives Shami for a boundary.
Pakistan - 91/3 in 12.2 overs.
WICKET: Shami gets a big wicket. Iftikhar departs for 51.
Iftikhar completes his fifty in 32 balls.
Pakistan - 91/2 in 12 overs.
SIX: And one more! Iftikhar is on fire!
SIX: That's another huge hit.
SIX: Iftikhar hits Axar Patel for a massive six.
Pakistan - 70/2 in 11 overs.
SIX: Iftikhar hits Ashwin for a massive six.
Pakistan - 60/2 in 10 overs.
FOUR: Iftikhar finds the gap.
Pakistan - 50/2 in 9 overs.
Pakistan - 44/2 in 8 overs.
Pakistan - 41/2 in 7 overs.
FOUR: Shan Masood's top edge earns him a boundary.
Pakistan - 32/2 in 6 overs.
FOUR: Shan Masood scores a boundary off Mohammad Shami
FOUR: Iftikhar pulls Arshdeep for a four.
Pakistan - 24/2 in 5 overs.
Pakistan - 15/2 in 4 overs
WICKET: Arshdeep gets his man. Mohammad Rizwan departs for 4.
Shan clipped it away for a boundary.
Pakistan - 10/1 in 3 overs
Four: Rizwan tickles it away for a boundary.
WICKET: Arshdeep gets Babar Azam. He departs for a duck.
Pakistan 6/1 in 2 overs.
Pakistan - 1/0 - 1over.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan at the crease.
Rohit says India relishing Pakistan ‘challenge’ in World Cup opener
Playing XIs
Pakistan: 1 Mohammad Rizwan, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Shan Masood, 4 Shadab Khan, 5 Haider Ali, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Asif Ali, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Naseem Shah, 11 Haris Rauf.
India: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Arshdeep Singh.
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