5 takeaways as Nawaz lives up to his name in Pakistan’s win over India

Pakistan overcame India by five wickets in their Asia Cup 2022 Super Four encounter on Sunday in Dubai, providing another thrilling finale. These are the five things we learned from the suspenseful movie:

1. Babar’s skinny patch is a boon

Babar Azam’s expectations are so high that three straight losses in a row count as a lean patch. He is officially out of form after his past three appearances resulted in scores of 10, 9, and 14. Babar finds this to be an odd run, given that he averages over 44 runs per innings in Twenty20 cricket, but it would go undetected by anybody else.

Pakistan has benefited from Babar’s dismal run. Pakistan has long been known to have a top-heavy team that depends mainly on its front three, particularly Babar.

But at least in the most recent India match, his failure allowed others to show that they might be a valuable asset in the future when things were tight. It was none other than Mohammad Nawaz.

2. Nawaz welcomes a new hero.

Regarding Nawaz, he is having an incredible Asia Cup. The all-rounder was chosen over the more well-known Imad Wasim, and he has vigorously defended his choice.

Pakistan's Mohammad Nawaz smiles as he wears his helmet during the Asia Cup Twenty20 international cricket Super Four match between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on September 4, 2022. — AFP
At the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on September 4, 2022, during the Asia Cup Twenty20 international cricket Super Four match between India and Pakistan, Mohammad Nawaz of Pakistan smiles while donning his helmet. AFP

 

Nawaz is a solid early favorite to win Pakistan’s Player of the Tournament after taking three wickets in the first match against India, three more against Hong Kong, and now a crucial 42 off 20 that completely changed the course of the game.

His innings brought to mind the crucial hit that another lefty had not too long ago. Similarly, forgotten man Haris Sohail saved Pakistan in a World Cup 2019 encounter against New Zealand.

3. Wheel to come to your aid

Before showcasing his batting prowess, Nawaz played a critical role in halting India’s relentless progress towards reaching a score of 200 or higher. Nawaz and Shadab Khan took three wickets between them in their eight overs, conceding only 56 runs.

If not for a spin, the second-inning goal would have been so lofty that it would have been almost impossible to approach. In a sense, Pakistan’s spin department deserves more credit than their winning batting.

4-Inevitable sprints

As the innings ended, Pakistan lost two boundaries due to Fakhar Zaman’s strange antics on the field, and they also conceded 14 runs in extras. Except for Fakhar’s lone errors, Pakistan’s team fielding has been surprisingly good in all three games.

Up to 22 unnecessary runs are supplied when the boundaries and bonuses are added together. Although it is understandable that errors sometimes occur and cannot be prevented, a high percentage in a 20-over match should raise red flags.

5. India’s competitive advantage is history

Some labeled the World Cup 2019 humiliation as an anomaly or a strange event. What about Pakistan’s thrilling victory this Sunday after the tight match?

Players shake hands after the match. — Reuters
Players shake hands after the match. — Reuters

 

After around ten years of Indian domination, it is evident that whatever psychological edge India had over Pakistan has vanished, and parity has been restored, at least in the shortest format.

We no longer have to see unfair Pakistan-India games since both teams are now psychologically equal. This is fortunate for the match since ability and abilities determine who wins or loses in future bouts.

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