It could be Jason Holder.
If not for Babar Azam, it certainly could.
And if not for those last seven overs. And if not for Carter bowling the last of those.
If not for Walton overestimating himself and Lewis getting mixed up. If not for Hope losing hope and Jason Muhammed feeling so burdened. And if not for Nurse letting his ego so loose.
It could be Jason Holder standing out there as winning captain and maybe the man of the match too.
But if not for himself.
*******
When Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal fell in quick succession, Sarfraz’s words at the toss started mocking Pakistan. 320, he said he would like to put on. And they had lost both the openers inside of first ten overs.
Very cheaply.
If Babar hadn’t restrained himself, they would’ve barely managed a hard fought 220 - at least a 100 less than what Sarfraz wanted to defend. Knowing that he couldn’t defend 308 the other day, the game would be over with a couple of hours to spare.
But Babar held on. Hafeez never got going. Malik didn’t want to. Sarfraz, the captain, couldn’t hold himself. Imad started ugly. All so but Babar hung on.
Holder was in charge for first three hours of the game. But in the next half, he looked like the dumbest captain WI ever produced. His bowling calculations were exasperated. His field settings very defensive.
If Babar hadn’t restrained himself, they would’ve barely managed a hard fought 220 - at least a 100 less than what Sarfraz wanted to defend. Knowing that he couldn’t defend 308 the other day, the game would be over with a couple of hours to spare.
But Babar held on. Hafeez never got going. Malik didn’t want to. Sarfraz, the captain, couldn’t hold himself. Imad started ugly. All so but Babar hung on.
Holder was in charge for first three hours of the game. But in the next half, he looked like the dumbest captain WI ever produced. His bowling calculations were exasperated. His field settings very defensive.
Babar was waiting for his ton. Imad was the clumsiest ever.
Into the 40th over, it was unthinkable that Pakistan would even manage 250.
If not for Holder himself.
*******
Why would he bowl out all the spin before the last powerplay? Why would Gabriel not be retained for the last five overs? Why would he not go for wickets there? Why won’t he exhaust Babar and make him toil for that ton?
And why the hell would Carter bowl the last over?
At one stage, what could be a 240 to win, was now a 283 to win.
********
But despite all that madness, this looked like a gettable total. They scored 309 in 49 overs only a day ago. Why couldn't they get 283 in 50 overs? They could. And they should.
For it would be history. A series win against Pakistan, after 26 years.
Walton should fire today. He must be willing to make up for what he did in the last game. Lewis built a case of himself then. He should carry on. Hope is a smart batsman. He should work. Powell can do it any time. Carter can bat deep.
And then they have Jason Muhammad.
None needs be told who he is.
Isn’t that enough to conclude that WI are going to create history yet again?
*******
They saw off the first over. Amir bowled tight. He deserved respect. They offered him too. Cricketing instinct tells you they are well prepared today. It would be a smoother game. They might not need heroics like Jason Muhammad here.
Comes Junaid. He overdoes his lines and is punished. That over goes for 12 runs.
It looks WI are going to win it in style. They look like a calm unit here. They are respecting good balls. They are not sparing any bad one. They are on the go. They are a true WIndie side today.
But madness, as Joker put it, is like gravity. All you need is a little push. And that came from Sarfraz. Junaid was called for his second over. Walton was to face him. This was the method from Pakistan. Madness had to come off Walton’s bat.
That wasn’t the length to be lofted anywhere over on side. At most, it could be lofted over cover or easily played back. But Walton had no other ideas. Spontaneity lifted his bat even before the ball could pitch in front of him. Hassan did the rest.
All of a sudden, 282 starts looking like a big target.
The first ball Hope faced was keenly whipped off his pads into the fine leg boundary. That was the sexiest shot of the day. Hope offered hope. They are in no nonsense mood today.
But then, Lewis falls for no obvious reason. He wants to play it across the line but that one off Amir comes in sharply.
Again, in a blink, 282 starts looking like a huge target.
And then Hassan starts getting over their nerves. Carter falls. Powell falls. Even Jason Mohammed falls. They fall for their rush, a poor man's madness.
Here, 282 looks like a supernatural phenomenon. Even if all of them have another inning to trail it, they won’t ever be able to do it.
********
There was something different with this Holder’s innings. He was soaking in. He was just watching the ball. He wasn’t thinking much. He carried some mystery around.
Jason Mohammed, their last and probably the only hope, fell but Holder didn’t seem bothered.
Now, 282 looks nothing more than 282.
Out of nowhere, Nurse appears and starts hitting the ball into gaps. None of his strokes a fluke. Either he misses it completely or he middles it like anything. In no time, he reaches 40.
Pakistan start to panic.
It looks if Nurse batted for another hour or so, he’d ruin all the good numbers Pakistan bowlers have managed thus far. And a record partnership to seal a record win for WI.
******
But then, there are no more illusions left in the day.
Walton should fire today. He must be willing to make up for what he did in the last game. Lewis built a case of himself then. He should carry on. Hope is a smart batsman. He should work. Powell can do it any time. Carter can bat deep.
And then they have Jason Muhammad.
None needs be told who he is.
Isn’t that enough to conclude that WI are going to create history yet again?
*******
They saw off the first over. Amir bowled tight. He deserved respect. They offered him too. Cricketing instinct tells you they are well prepared today. It would be a smoother game. They might not need heroics like Jason Muhammad here.
Comes Junaid. He overdoes his lines and is punished. That over goes for 12 runs.
It looks WI are going to win it in style. They look like a calm unit here. They are respecting good balls. They are not sparing any bad one. They are on the go. They are a true WIndie side today.
But madness, as Joker put it, is like gravity. All you need is a little push. And that came from Sarfraz. Junaid was called for his second over. Walton was to face him. This was the method from Pakistan. Madness had to come off Walton’s bat.
That wasn’t the length to be lofted anywhere over on side. At most, it could be lofted over cover or easily played back. But Walton had no other ideas. Spontaneity lifted his bat even before the ball could pitch in front of him. Hassan did the rest.
All of a sudden, 282 starts looking like a big target.
The first ball Hope faced was keenly whipped off his pads into the fine leg boundary. That was the sexiest shot of the day. Hope offered hope. They are in no nonsense mood today.
But then, Lewis falls for no obvious reason. He wants to play it across the line but that one off Amir comes in sharply.
Again, in a blink, 282 starts looking like a huge target.
And then Hassan starts getting over their nerves. Carter falls. Powell falls. Even Jason Mohammed falls. They fall for their rush, a poor man's madness.
Here, 282 looks like a supernatural phenomenon. Even if all of them have another inning to trail it, they won’t ever be able to do it.
********
There was something different with this Holder’s innings. He was soaking in. He was just watching the ball. He wasn’t thinking much. He carried some mystery around.
Jason Mohammed, their last and probably the only hope, fell but Holder didn’t seem bothered.
Now, 282 looks nothing more than 282.
Out of nowhere, Nurse appears and starts hitting the ball into gaps. None of his strokes a fluke. Either he misses it completely or he middles it like anything. In no time, he reaches 40.
Pakistan start to panic.
It looks if Nurse batted for another hour or so, he’d ruin all the good numbers Pakistan bowlers have managed thus far. And a record partnership to seal a record win for WI.
******
But then, there are no more illusions left in the day.
Nurse falls.
He has gone. Joseph has joined in. And Holder is still there. He must be up to something. A player like him won’t hold bars for too long. There must be something surreal behind it.
It occurs that WI need 96 off the last 11 overs.
It is known that Pakistan scored exactly the same of last 11 overs.
Amir comes in to bowl. He has bowled five overs for only 16 runs. Into his sixth over, Holder would face up to him. Before that over, Amir was 5-1-16-1. When that over finished, Amir read 6-1-32-1.
That could turn you on. But only if you didn’t know that WI had only two wickets left. Maybe, they could’ve chased it down in some forty overs or so. Maybe, they could’ve all learnt from Jason Mohammed. Maybe, they all shouldn’t have tried to be Jason Mohammed.
******
In the end, Holder gets his career best with the bat. But those numbers mean nothing while WI stand on the losing side, with overs to spare. Holder is the last man to fall.
He has gone. Joseph has joined in. And Holder is still there. He must be up to something. A player like him won’t hold bars for too long. There must be something surreal behind it.
It occurs that WI need 96 off the last 11 overs.
It is known that Pakistan scored exactly the same of last 11 overs.
Amir comes in to bowl. He has bowled five overs for only 16 runs. Into his sixth over, Holder would face up to him. Before that over, Amir was 5-1-16-1. When that over finished, Amir read 6-1-32-1.
That could turn you on. But only if you didn’t know that WI had only two wickets left. Maybe, they could’ve chased it down in some forty overs or so. Maybe, they could’ve all learnt from Jason Mohammed. Maybe, they all shouldn’t have tried to be Jason Mohammed.
******
In the end, Holder gets his career best with the bat. But those numbers mean nothing while WI stand on the losing side, with overs to spare. Holder is the last man to fall.
But the way it all unfolded, he actually was the first one.
He could’ve made history.
But if not for himself.
He could’ve made history.
But if not for himself.
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