DUBAI: Mohammad Nawaz wants to be a “proper all-rounder” after his batting blitz set up a thrilling win for Pakistan against arch-rivals India in the Asia Cup Super Four.
Chasing 182 for victory, Pakistan achieved the target with one ball and five wickets to spare in Dubai after Muhammad Rizwan hit 71 and Nawaz made 42.
Nawaz, a left-arm spinner who usually bats at eight but was promoted to number four, joined Rizwan when the score was 63-2 and the two put on a key stand.
The 28-year-old Nawaz smashed six fours and two sixes in his 20-ball knock to put the chase on track.
Nawaz, who returned bowling figures of 1-25 in India’s 181-7, also took three catches and was named man of the match.
“To play such an innings in a high-pressure game has definitely given me confidence,” Nawaz told reporters after Sunday’s victory in the regional T20 tournament which acts as a tune-up for the World Cup in October.
“I have got the opportunity to grow as a player and I will try my best to live up to the rising expectations.
“I will work hard and try to perform better as a proper all-rounder for the Pakistan team.”
Nawaz fell in the 16th over and soon Rizwan was out after his second successive half-century.
Khushdil Shah (unbeaten 14) and Asif Ali, who made 16 off eight balls, hauled Pakistan over the line in a tense final over as they avenged their loss to India earlier in the tournament.
“We wanted to take it as deep as we could because the kind of players we have in Khushdil and Asif, even if we need 10-12 runs per over, they can easily get it,” Rizwan said.
India’s Virat Kohli, who returned to form with 60 off 44 balls to hold the Indian innings together until he got run out in the last over, said Nawaz’s knock made the difference.
“They took a chance to promote him and extend his batting stay and if the situation gets difficult they have (recognized) batsmen left,” Kohli told reporters.
“So the way he batted it was a game-changing moment, the way I read the game.”
The top two teams in the Super Four, which also has Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, will make the Asia Cup final on September 11.
Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz wants to be ‘proper all-rounder’ after thrilling performance in Dubai
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Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz wants to be ‘proper all-rounder’ after thrilling performance in Dubai
- Nawaz, a left-arm spinner, joined Muhmmad Rizwan when the score was 63-2 and the two put on a key stand
- He also returned bowling figures of 1-25, took three catches and was named man of the match after victory against India
Desert Vipers hold nerve to edge Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in ILT20 thriller
- Key contributions from Shimron Hetmyer and Khuzaima Tanveer prove decisive as the Vipers weather tense finish to overhaul target of 171
- Knight Riders start well, reaching 87 in 10 overs, but momentum shifts in second half of their inning as the Vipers’ spinners struck back
SHARJAH: Desert Vipers made it two wins out of two in the DP World International League T20, as they held their nerve to secure a dramatic two-wicket victory over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Shimron Hetmyer’s counterattacking 48 off 25 balls, and a late-order cameo from Khuzaima Tanveer, who hit 31 off just 12 deliveries, proved decisive as the Vipers weathered a tense finish to overhaul a target of 171.
Sent in to bat, the Knight Riders made a confident start through Phil Salt and Alex Hales, with the latter anchoring the inning to top-score with 53 off 37 balls.
Despite reaching 87 in 10 overs, however, the momentum shifted in the second half of the inning as the Vipers’ spinners began to strike regularly. Qais Ahmad and Noor Ahmad led the middle-overs fightback, dismissing Hales and triggering a collapse as the Knight Riders lost five wickets.
Andre Russell’s unbeaten 36, and useful contributions from Alishan Sharafu and Unmukt Chand, at least helped Abu Dhabi reach a competitive total, but they were unable to fully capitalize on the side’s strong opening.
The Vipers began explosively in reply, smashing a tournament-record 19 runs from the first over. However, early wickets then left them wobbling on 44/3. Sam Curran and Dan Lawrence rebuilt the attack before the latter combined with Hetmyer for a crucial 68-run stand that swung the contest back in the their favor.
Late strikes from Ajay Kumar and Russell, the latter dismissing Hetmyer for his 500th T20 wicket, set up a tense finish, but Tanveer delivered under pressure. Needing eight runs off the final over, he sealed victory with a six and a boundary.
“It was, in many ways, a fortunate escape but an outstanding result for us,” said Curran, the Vipers’ stand-in captain.
“ADKR possess a very powerful batting lineup, and I believe our bowlers performed exceptionally well throughout the innings. The dismissals of Hetmyer and Dan introduced an unexpected twist but the team showed commendable composure in the crucial moments.”
Knight Riders’ stand-in skipper Sunil Narine felt his side had been lacking with the bat: “We were 15-20 runs short. We began well in the powerplay and that phase was crucial for us.
“The conditions eventually worked in their favor and the dew made it challenging for our spinners. But at the end of the day that’s part of the game.”
The result leaves the Vipers well placed at this early stage of the tournament, while the Knight Riders were left to reflect on missed opportunities after such a strong start.
