In a World Cup match, posting a challenging total, putting up a late fightback, the game going down to the wire, Mohammad Nawaz with the most crucial over and… world cricket has witnessed this before and Pakistan have experienced the heartbreak before. A year on from that infamous delivery against Ravichandran Ashwin in the box-office T20 World Cup clash against India at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, Nawaz dished out a similar. Unlike the clever Ashwin, who let it go for a wide, Keshav Maharaj simply shuffled a bit, went on his back foot and whipped it stylishly wide of backward square leg for a historic win for South Africa. The end result was eventually the same. An error of judgement from Nawaz saw Pakistan let go of a thriller, but the narrow one-wicket loss on Friday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium witnessed the 1992 champions incur an all-time World Cup low.
Pakistan were never the favourites heading into the second innings in Chennai, and more so after the manner in which Quinton de Kock kicked off the chase for South Africa. The opener, who already scored three centuries this World Cup, seemed to be in a hurry and add more positives to their indomitable net run rate in the campaign. Babar’s men however clawed their way back with regular wickets before incurring another major hindrance in Aiden Markram, who looked set for a second World Cup hundred this year. But with Usama Mir taking the most crucial wicket, followed by South Africa going eight down, Pakistan suddenly realised their true chances at snapping a three-match losing streak.
Haris Rauf then ended his quota of 10 overs with South Africa’s ninth wicket before being brutally robbed off the final via DRS while Mohammad Wasim Jr ended his share as well amid cramps leaving Babar with only spin bowlers to choose from for the final three overs. Mir, who walked into the game as a concussion substitute for injured Shadab Khan and picked two big wickets, had two overs left and Nawaz seemed the only other option. But instead of going with the leg-spinner, the skipper picked the latter and just a delivery into the 48th over, memories from Melbourne came haunting back Pakistan.
Just like the left-arm spinner had gone down the leg side against Ashwin a year back in India’s four-wicket win, Nawaz, with Pakistan requiring 4 off 17 with a wicket in hand, dished out a similar. Maharaj helped it behind the square and with no one patrolling the boundary at that region, South Africa clinched the thriller.
Maharaj removed his helmet, let out a roar while Babar was left absolutely livid. He charged at Nawaz for the poor bowling line as Pakistan, for the first time ever, lost four matches in a row in a World Cup edition.
VIDEO: Babar Azam lashes out at Nawaz for poor delivery to Keshav Maharaj
Pakistan still remain mathematically alive in 2023 World Cup, but this close loss will do more damage the team, making things difficult in their remaining three matches.
