T20 World Cup: England deny Pakistan fairytale finish

Ben Stokes has made it a habit of lording over Sunday finals at World Cups. A little over three years back, his unbeaten 84 hauled England to a Super Over against New Zealand in the 50-over World Cup at Lord’s, and a subsequent title win on boundary countback. On this Sunday night, the result was a lot more cut and dried as he helped England complete the white-ball double, masterminding a five-wicket triumph over Pakistan in the final of the T20 World Cup.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground was draped in a sea of green with a majority of the 80,462 spectators clearly in Pakistan’s corner, but when Stokes pulled Mohammad Wasim through mid-wicket for the winning single with six deliveries to spare, the audience rose as one to salute one of the great showmen of the modern game.

The southpaw thus emphatically, gloriously exorcised the ghosts of Eden Gardens 2016, when he conceded four straight last-over sixes and the T20 World Cup final to Carlos Brathwaite and West Indies.

Stokes’ evening had begun ominously when he sent down a no-ball off the first delivery of the contest, but as the evening segued into night, he emerged larger than life with his first Twenty20 International half-century. In a match dominated by the ball, it was the difference between the sides, the left-hander casting his natural aggression aside to handle the tricky conditions and a gun Pakistani attack with a poise and composure that was commendable, given the stakes involved.

Jos Buttler won a crucial toss with rain forecast – fortunately, the weather held and the match was completed without any interruption – and his decision to stick the opposition in was vindicated by a terrific bowling performance spearheaded by the underrated Sam Curran. The left-arm swing exponent bowled exceptional lines, got the ball to move around and picked up three wickets while conceding just 12 runs, enough for him to grab the Player of the Match honours. His 13 wickets for the competition also earned him the Player of the Tournament award.

Curran and leg-spinner Adil Rashid were the chief destroyers as Pakistan were restricted to 137 for eight, whose aggressive intent was foiled by the aplomb with which England exploited whatever assistance was on offer. Babar Azam plodded on after the loss of opening partner Mohammad Rizwan to make 32 and Shan Masood showed greater fluency during his innings-high 38, but having been kept honest throughout the innings, Pakistan’s designs of a final flourish were dashed when they accrued just 31 runs in the final five overs.

It was now up to Shaheen Shah Afridi and Co. to make a match of it, but gamely as they tried, their batsmen had left the bowlers with too much to do. Afridi dismissed Alex Hales, one half of the gale force that destroyed India in the semis, in the first over, and Haris Rauf accounted for Phil Salt and Buttler within the Powerplay. Pakistan had one foot in the door at that stage, though they weren’t unaware that they still had to contend with Stokes’ feistiness.

Alongside the inexperienced Harry Brook, Stokes steadied the rocking boat with a stand of 39, biding his time and playing well within himself. His opportunity came when Afridi limped off after bowling just one ball in his third over, having received attention to his right knee which he hurt while catching Brook at long-off off impressive leggie Shadab Khan. England needed 41 off 29 deliveries at that stage and without their mercurial left-arm quick, they unravelled rapidly.

Seizing the moment, Stokes worked through the gears with Moeen Ali keeping him company during a title-defining alliance of 48. With such a low total to defend, Pakistan could ill afford to lose 11 deliveries of their best bowler, and their brave challenge came to an end with an over to spare.

England became the first team to wear both white-ball crowns at the same time and joined West Indies as the sole two-time winners of the T20 World Cup, reiterating their standing as the premier limited-overs side of their generation.

(The writer is a senior cricket journalist)