Pakistan are not a team known for its brilliance on the field but Wednesday was different as Shadab Khan pulled off a spectacular direct throw to send Devon Conway back to the dugout in the semifinal clash against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup 2022 in Sydney.
New Zealand had a cautious start after they opted to bat. They were put on the backfoot in the first over itself as Shaheen Shah Afridi trapped Finn Allen (4) lbw on the third ball of the match. Conway and skipper Kane Williamson then steadied the Black Caps’ innings by stitching a partnership.
And just when the pair look settled at the crease, calamity struck the Kiwis! On the last ball of the powerplay, Conway pushed a back-of-length ball from Haris Rauf towards mid-off and scampered for a single. But Shadab Khan was alert and charged towards the ball and in one motion, picked up the ball and darted it at the stumps on the non-striker’s end. And to the delight of the Pakistani team and fans, the all-rounder hit the bullseye to run out threatening Conway.
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The 34-run stand between Conway and Williamson was broken to put New Zealand in a spot of bother as the opener has been their main batter in the tournament.
Eventually, New Zealand finished with 152/4 riding on Daryl Mitchell's 53*. Shaheen Shah Afridi picked up 2/24 to lead the bowling pack. But Babar Azam (53) and Mohammad Rizwan (57) shared a 105-run opening stand which powered Pakistan into the finals with a 7-wicket win.
First Published: Nov 9, 2022 3:18 PM IST
