Virat Kohli's unbeaten 82 helps India beat Pakistan in T20 World Cup thriller

Pakistan’s decision to hold back Mohammad Nawaz until the last over backfired as, with 13 required from three balls, the slow left-armer was adjudged to have bowled an above-waist-height no-ball which was heaved for six by Kohli.

Nawaz’s nerve deserted him as he threw in a wide down the leg-side with two needed off the last ball, after which Ravichandran Ashwin coolly lifted over the in-field for a single as India overhauled Pakistan’s 159 for eight with four wickets to spare.

On more than one occasion India looked sunk in the run-chase, but a 113-run union between Kohli and Hardik Pandya (40 off 37 balls) kept them afloat, with the pair growing in authority as the stand grew.

Kohli, who last month ended a two-and-a-half-year wait for an international century in any format, was particularly watchful after India had slipped to 31 for four, taking just 15 off his first 24 balls.

He seized the moment when it counted, not just off Nawaz but helping to get the target down to a manageable 16 off six with back-to-back sixes from the last two balls of the penultimate over, bowled by Haris Rauf, amid a cacophony of noise from a 90,293 crowd that ratcheted up in a dramatic finale.

Tickets to witness the latest instalment between these neighbouring rivals were snapped up in five minutes and the forecast rain failed to materialise as those in attendance were treated to a clash for the ages.

Pakistan have grown heavily reliant on openers Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam but they contributed just four runs in 13 balls between them.

Babar departed for a golden duck, plumb lbw to a hooping inswinger from Arshdeep Singh, who had both prolific Pakistan openers in his back pocket when Rizwan top-edged a hook to Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

India kept a tight leash on Pakistan’s scoring rate although Iftikhar Ahmed threatened to turn the tide by blasting three sixes in Axar Patel’s only over to reach his fifty. Iftikhar was out for 51 off 34 balls in the next over as Mohammed Shami’s fuller, seaming delivery thudded into his back leg.

Pandya took three cheap wickets while Arshdeep had his third when Asif Ali ducked into a bouncer and gloved behind although the left-arm seamer’s figures took a dent as he was crashed for six then four in a cameo 16 off eight balls from Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Shan Masood ultimately anchored Pakistan’s innings with an unbeaten 52 off 42 balls, which seemed priceless when KL Rahul chopped on to his stumps before Rauf located the outside edges of key pairing Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav.

Matters worsened for India as Axar Patel, promoted up the order, was sent back looking for a quick single and just short of his crease when the ball was fumbled into the stumps by wicketkeeper Rizwan.

In Kohli and Pandya they had two batters built for the big occasion but at the halfway stage they were on 45 for four. As the asking rate continued to climb, Nawaz’s third over went for 20 runs, with two sixes for Pandya and one for Kohli.

Pakistan captain Babar turned to his seamers and they left India needing 48 from the last three overs. However, Kohli got on top of Shaheen with three fours in his final over then, with 28 needed off eight balls, flaying Rauf for successive sixes to set up a dramatic climax.

It was left to Nawaz and he initially seemed up to the task after Pandya sliced up in the air to cover but his no-ball turned the tide, as Babar remonstrated with the on-field umpires to no avail.

The initial free-hit was a wide so Nawaz had to send down another one, which bowled Kohli but India scampered three byes. There was a further twist as Dinesh Karthik was stumped but another wide allowed Ashwin to lift over mid-off as Kohli dropped to his knees in jubilation.

“I think it’s his best [innings], for sure,” Rohit said. “But I think from the situation we were in, and to come out with a victory, I think it has to be one of India’s best knocks, not just his best knock.

“Until the 13th over we were so behind the game, and the required rate was just climbing up and up. But to come out and chase that score was an extremely brilliant effort from Virat.

“He used his experience more than anything else, staying calm under pressure, and we know how good he is when the score is in front of him. He’s one of the best chasers in the world.”

Sri Lanka rout Ireland

Ireland made a losing start to their Super 12 campaign at the T20 World Cup as Kusal Mendis steered Sri Lanka to a comfortable victory in Hobart.

Mendis hit an unbeaten 68 from 43 deliveries and wrapped up a nine-wicket win with his third six of the match, settling the encounter with five overs to spare.

Ireland had stunned West Indies to reach this stage of the competition and set their opponents a target of 129 as Harry Tector top-scored with a knock of 45.

Opener Paul Stirling contributed 34 to the cause, but there was a lack of support beyond that.

George Dockrell (14) and Lorcan Tucker (10) were the only other men to hit double figures as Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga took two wickets apiece and Ireland reached 128 for eight.

Sri Lanka were in control and never looked like coming up short after Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva put on a stubborn opening stand.

The duo had combined for 63 runs by the time Dhananjaya (31) was caught behind off Gareth Delany in the ninth over.

It proved to be the only Sri Lankan wicket to fall, with Mendis bringing up his 50 from 37 deliveries, hitting the milestone with a four.

Charith Asalanka matched Dhananjaya’s haul of 31 before Mendis smashed Sri Lanka to victory.

Ireland next face England in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Balbirnie knows Ireland’s batting needs to improve

Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie admitted his side’s batting must improve after they fell to a nine-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka. Looking to build on their upset of West Indies, they instead set a simple target of 129 founded on Harry Tector’s 45 and Sir Lanka romped home with five overs to spare.

“Obviously we didn’t want to bat first. We were looking at 160 plus and we were well short of that,” Balbirnie said.

“We were never really in the game. We knew they had the threat of spin on a used wicket and it certainly looked that way given the way the result has panned out.

“As a batting group we back ourselves to bat well first or second. We’re going to have to look at ourselves and if we do bat first in the next game we need to put up a better fight.”

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