Costly Cup final call after 'turning point' ripped

2 years ago 86

In a two-over play precocious successful the T20 World Cup final, the hearts of Pakistan supporters sunk and the English loosened up for chaotic celebrations.

Pakistan fans watched connected gutted arsenic the spearhead of the side's attack, magnificent speedy Shaheen Afridi, limped from the field.

He'd returned to the MCG pastures aft buckling a genu portion taking a classy outfield catch, lone to vessel 1 shot and telephone it a time 15.1 overs into England's chase.

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What followed was a glut of runs that saw the English rip the crippled distant from a gutsy Pakistan broadside defending lone 137.

Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali combined to pummel 29 runs from 11 balls crossed the 16th and 17th overs, mounting England up for a five-wicket triumph with six balls to spare.

Mark Taylor labelled Afridi's exit the "turning point" connected Nine's sum of the match, while Callum Ferguson scorned the determination to manus part-time off-spinner Iftikhar Ahmed the shot erstwhile the person of the onslaught stumbled from the field.

Iftikhar leaked 13 runs from 5 balls, earlier Mohammad Wasim conceded 16 from a afloat over.

"I've watched this Pakistan broadside truly intimately done the tournament. It feels similar a much mature Pakistan astatine the moment," Ferguson said.

"But there's nary doubt that Iftikhar bowling astatine that signifier of the crippled was the furthest happening from everyone's minds ... earlier Shaheen went down. He's hardly bowled astatine each successful this tournament. We cognize he's an off-spinner that does vessel from clip to time, but for that to beryllium the concern and for him to beryllium bowling that implicit — that was a existent left-field 1 for me.

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"I thought (left-arm orthodox bowler Mohammad) Nawaz mightiness person bowled it, adjacent though it would person meant spinning into the 2 left-handers. I inactive thought they would person gone with him. He's a feline that's bowled good done the tournament."

Stokes finished with an unbeaten 52 runs from 49 deliveries, redeeming the highest people of his T20 planetary vocation for the astir important stage.

Ali played a tremendous supporting role, hammering 19 from 13 aft striding to the mediate astatine No.6.

"Wasn't to beryllium and it wounded them successful the end," Ferguson said of the telephone to springiness Iftikhar the ball.

"Ben Stokes took afloat toll."

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