Pakistan show amazing resolve to reach the last four of the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals. Meanwhile, the first century of the tournament is scored courtesy Gurinder Singh India locked horns with Pakistan for the second time in the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals in a crucial game for Pakistan. On this game, hinged Pakistan’s chances of playing in the semifinals. They won the toss and opted to field first as the lights were coming on at the R. Premadasa Stadium.
The scoreboard operators were forced to break sweat from the beginning of the match as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, Jaskaran Singh Sohi began his onslaught. There wasn’t a Pakistani bowler he didn’t punish as he quickly made his third half century of the tournament.
Gurinder Singh who walked in as No.3 was equally devastating and the pair put on a partnership of 96. Despite the carnage, Pakistan kept their nerve and Ahsan Mirza had Jaskaran caught on the boundary for 57. Indian skipper Kunal Mahajan soon followed him after being run-out for one.
Gurinder Singh however, made sure Pakistan was kept on the back foot as he continued the onslaught that Jaskaran began. But that was only when he was at the crease. On the other end, Pakistan fought back, dismissing the rest of the Indian middle order cheaply. Shahzaib Khan picked up two wickets in the 18th over but it wasn’t enough to stop Singh from bringing up his century – the first of the tournament. It was a powerful knock comprising nine sixes and five fours in just 56 balls helping India to a total of 179/7.
With a target of 180, Pakistan needed a big innings from its top order, but their reply got off to a terrible start when India’s Vishwas Khatak sent back Faraz Ali for a duck. He was soon joined by Hassen Javed who was dismissed by Parminder Singh – breaking a 22-run second wicket partnership with Ammar Hassan. With both openers back in the pavillion, Abdul Khan joined Hassan and steadied the ship, taking the score past 50 before Hassan fell.
Khan and Rameez Aziz fought back for Pakistan.They constructed a 60-run partnership before Khan was dismissed by Simranpreet Singh. But Nabeel Khalid and Shahzaib Khan led Pakistan’s fight back a blistering 60-run partnership that won the game for Pakistan in the last over. It was a tight and exciting game that went down to the wire becoming the first game of the tournament to go down to the last over.
Nabeel Khalid was awarded the Man of the Match for his match-winning 51 off 18 balls that helped book Pakistan’s place in the semifinals of the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals 2013, in the process knocking out Australia.
