Drama at the death - a ball-by-ball account of a cracking finish at the MCG
It was 31 from 12, and then 16 from six, and then there were wickets, wides, no-balls, sixes, arguments... pretty much everything
Length ball angling into the corridor, sits deep in his crease and flat-bats it along the ground to deep midwicket
Length ball outside off, slapped on the bounce to deep cover point
Extra bounce. Short outside off, and the ball beats Hardik's attempted uppercut
Hard length., angling into the body. Can't pull that, just manages to send it dribbling towards long-on off the sticker of the bat
Okay, wow. Has Kohli ever played a better shot in T20 cricket? Length ball, finishing around bail-high, and Kohli punches it with an almost straight bat, straight back over the bowler's head. Swivels through the hip a little as he does so, a la Jos Buttler, and it easily carries over the rope
Fullish, angling into leg stump, and Kohli has caused the MCG to explode into pure noise. A flick of the wrists, and the ball sails over the boundary to the left of fine leg. Wow!
Got him, what a strike for Pakistan! Flat, speared into the pads, and Hardik loses his shape completely as he tries to slog this over the leg side. Edges it, and the ball balloons to the fielder at cover point
Down the track, and he gets a full-toss that's chest-high when he meets it. Would it have been as high if he was standing in his normal position? Probably not. Swatted down to long-on
They need a boundary every ball, almost, but they only get two here. Very full, almost a wide yorker, and Kohli drags it down to long-on, all along the ground
Full-toss, full-toss, and it's gone for six!!!! It's only just gone for six, but it's gone for six nonetheless! On off stump, and it's a fairly high full-toss too - it's been called no-ball!!! - and Kohli swats it away over the leg side. Deep square leg leaps to his right, gets a hand to the ball to try and flap it back into play, but it still lands beyond the rope
Now he bowls a wide! All the pressure is on the poor bowler, and he looks to keep it away from Kohli's reach, but ends up spearing his wide yorker beyond the off-side tramline
Bowled him, but it's a free hit! And they run three by the time the throw comes in from the third man region!!! Full, angling into off stump, and Kohli misses his attempted sweep. But he knows it's a free-hit, and he sets off at full pace, as does DK. The ball rolls between the keeper and short third, and they pick up three byes
Got him, a stumping off the pads!!! Goes flat, angling down leg, following DK's movement to make room. Looks to sweep, and the ball dribbles off the pad behind the wicket. And Rizwan is alert to the fact that DK has stumbled out of his crease. What a moment. Rizwan is well down the leg side when he collects the ball, and he falls to his right to complete the stumping
And Nawaz bowls a wide!!!! Expects Ashwin to try and make room, maybe, and sends a flat, quick one well down the leg side. Ashwin just watches it pass him, and the MCG explodes once more!
And Ashwin clears one of those infielders!!! What a cool, collected, and elegant finish!!! Full, angling into the stumps, and Ashwin makes a little bit of room and scoops the ball over mid-off. What a finish! What a freaking game!!!