England’s T20 World Cup Triumph: Stokes and Curran Shine Bright
England emerged victorious, breaking Pakistani hearts to clinch the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup title.
After edging Pakistan in a close run chase to win the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup final at the MCG by five wickets with an over remaining, England became the first side to hold both men’s World Cups concurrently.
Prior to the ODI champs, Adil Rashid weaves a web to limit Pakistan. England wins the Twenty20 championship as well.
Pakistan 137 for 8 (Masood 38, Curran 3-12, Rashid 2-22, Jordan 2-27) lost against England 138 for 5 (Stokes 52*, Rauf 2-23) by five wickets.
In the biggest T20 international of the year, Ben Stokes, who won the match for England in the 50-over final three years prior, led another hunt for runs and scored his maiden half-century in T20 international cricket. He had struggled to 24 off 34 balls, but the pressure to score was relieved by a late burst of boundaries.
In the thirteenth over of England’s chase, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s sliding forward to complete a catch off Shadab Khan, dismissing Harry Brook, turned the tide of the match. Pakistan’s joy was short-lived as they discovered Shaheen had injured his right knee, which had previously seemed like it would prevent him from competing in the competition.
After receiving some medical attention, he tried to bat again in his third over, needing 41 off 30 balls, but he once again failed to run up, then hit a 71-mph/114-kph shot to Moeen Ali. Stokes targeted Iftikhar Ahmed after he finished his over. He miscued him very close to long off, but after that, he slapped him through cover for four and launched him back over his head for six.
The needed rate was less than one run per ball when Moeen began the next over by hitting consecutive boundaries off Mohammad Wasim. Stokes secured England’s title by hauling Wasim through the leg side after he had returned to York Moeen.
Sam Curran Strikes Throughout
Throughout this T20 World Cup, England mainly used Sam Curran at the end, but in the knockout stages, his role changed slightly. Curran bowled a second powerplay over in both the semifinal and championship match due to Chris Jordan’s presence, who took Mark Wood’s place due to injury for the final two games.
It turned out to be important. Having been selected to bat first on a sluggish surface, Pakistan got off to a slow start, highlighted by a slog-swept six from Mohammad Rizwan. In the opening four overs, Chris Woakes gave them their lone boundary. Then, in the second over, Curran struck as Rizwan attempted to quicken the pace, inside-edging a powerful cover drive against the base of his leg stump.
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Using the large square boundaries of the MCG to his advantage, Curran came back at the end and had both Shan Masood and Mohammad Nawaz caught by Liam Livingstone at deep midwicket. After finishing with impressive 3 for 12 in four boundary-less overs, he was named player of the tournament and player of the match.
Adil Rashid Among The Wickets
Adil Rashid’s World Cup campaign was uneven; during his first three appearances, he amassed combined stats of 0 for 89 in 12 overs, but England stated they had faith in him to do well in crunch time. He performed admirably, taking 1 for 16 and 1 for 20 against India and Sri Lanka, before making two significant breakthroughs in the championship game.
Pakistan’s dangerous No. 3, Mohammad Haris, attempted to clear long-on off Rashid’s opening delivery but got caught by Stokes, and neither Shan Masood nor Babar Azam could get him away. Masood, on the other hand, faced Livingstone and knocked him back for four, then six, to take 16 off his lone over.
However, Rashid struck with the very next ball, causing Babar to miscue his googly back to him. Iftikhar was having trouble reading his variations, Rashid went on to deliver a wicket maiden. After a 36-run partnership with Masood, he gave up his lone boundary in the last over when Shadab whacked him back over his head. However, regular wickets at the end kept Pakistan to 137.
England Struggles Early In The Chase
One crucial matchup stood out going into the championship: Pakistan’s new-ball bowlers against England’s opening batsmen. Despite the fact that Jos Buttler and Alex Hales had destroyed India in their semi-final match, Shaheen, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf were the tournament’s top speed trio.
With a full delivery that grazed Hales’ back pad as it went through, Shaheen pulled off the first blow, ripping his middle stump out of the ground. Buttler responded by overpitching Naseem in an attempt to take another early wicket, but Naseem was pinged through the covers for consecutive boundaries.
Phil Salt hit two early boundaries while batting for the first time in the competition as Dawid Malan’s groin strain proved to be too much to heal. But as he was searching for a third, he caught Rauf at short midwicket, and the batsman let out a celebratory yell.
Naseem’s second over was brilliant, but it cost 11 runs despite the fact that he five times beat Buttler’s outside edge with a wayward ball down the leg side and a spectacular, signature scoop shot that went for six. In the next over, Rauf was rewarded when Buttler fell farther behind, and England ended a disorganized powerplay with 49 for 3.
In Comes Ben Stokes
Stokes and Brook decided to bat deep for the next six overs in an effort to reduce dot balls without taking unnecessary risks, since they were able to control the required rate. As the ball grew older, both players struggled with timing and found it difficult to get boundaries. Following the drinks break, Stokes managed just one run off his first nine balls before being repeatedly beaten by Naseem in another outstanding over.
After cutting the last ball of Rauf’s third over away for four to ease some of the pressure, Stokes appeared to have put himself in a hole with 45 needed off 31 balls. However, he saw an opening when Shaheen signaled to the dug-out that his night was done. He misplayed his opening delivery from Iftikhar, the part-time offspinner, towards Babar at long off, but it was short, and he flung his head back in shock. He then hammered his last two balls to the boundary.
After reaching his first T20I fifty with a slap through the off side, Stokes swung and missed at Wasim before forcing him away for the winning run with the scores equal. England’s position as one of the greatest limited-overs teams was assured as their bench ran onto the field in celebration.
