Just how fast the night changes? This particular memory is still fresh in my mind. Perhaps not just in many Pakistan fans, but to the Indian fans as well. For the man himself, Shahid Afridi, his spectacular performance in that match against India was a reminder of what Afridi was. For its 10th anniversary, let’s reminisce about Afridi’s Asia Cup sixes on this very day.
India and Pakistan were participating in the Asia Cup, hosted by Bangladesh. The twelfth edition had five teams only with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan the other two teams in that tournament. Both the Asian arch-rivals had lost to Sri Lanka but won the other games so they were facing each other with a win and a loss each. A win would boost their chances for the final. That match lived up to its expectations.
Afridi’s Asia Cup Sixes: The match
The First Innings
On a lovely Dhaka afternoon, Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first. Both sides made one change each; with the national team bringing in Mohammad Talha for Anwar Ali while India brought in Amit Mishra for Stuart Binny.
Shikhar Dhawan was the first to fall, LBW by Mohammad Hafeez while Rohit Sharma did what he does best; giving his side a good start. Virat Kohli, India’s captain for the tournament after MS Dhoni was ruled out due to injury, fell cheaply to Umar Gul.
Meanwhile, Rohit fell after scoring his fifty caught well by Hafeez. There were brief stands in between with another half-centurion, Ambati Rayudu. Both Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik made 23 each. After the fall of both batters, Ravindra Jadeja joined Rayudu.
The turning point of that inning was the drop of Jadeja by none other than Hafeez himself. Jadeja, struggling at 12 from 25 balls, skied one up before the bowler dropped the batter. Jadeja finally found his feet later as he went from 15 runs off 31 balls and ended with an unbeaten 52 from 49. He scored 37 runs from 18 in the back end to give India a competitive total of 245 from their allotted 50 overs.
Saeed Ajmal was the best bowler for PAK with figures of 3-40 while Talha was the most economical bowler with 2-22 in seven overs.
Also Read: Will Pakistan ever find the replacement of Saeed Ajmal?
The Second Innings
The Green Team started their run chase in the most untypical way. Ahmed Shehzad and Sharjeel Khan gave an excellent start, putting on 67 by the end of the 10th over. Ravichandran Ashwin, who conceded only two runs in his first over inside the powerplay, struck the first blow in his second with a lovely carrom delivery to dismiss Sharjeel. That was where the floods began.
Shortly, Ahmed was too dismissed for 42 by Amit Mishra. Two more wickets of skipper Misbah ul-Haq (run out) and Umar Akmal (dismissed by Mishra) followed. By that time, PAK were 113-4 in 22.2 overs. In this period, the team managed only 46 runs in 12.2 overs, scoring about 3.7 runs per over.
This was followed by a crucial stand of 87 between Hafeez and Sohaib Maqsood. Hafeez played very well for his 75 but he held on one to the fielder. Maqsood scored a solid knock of 38 (was missed stumped by Karthik when he was on 21) before being run out.
This is were PAK once again fumbled. They were 203-6 at 45 overs and they needed 43 runs in the last 30 balls with six wickets in hand.
Afridi’s Asia Cup sixes: How the drama unfolded
With the run rate climbing, Shahid Afridi was greeted by Umar Gul after Maqsood’s dismissal. Afridi was already having a not-so-good Asia Cup, having scores of 4 and 6 in his first two games while taking only three wickets in the competition.
Mishra had bowled out with excellent figures of 2-28 while Jadeja had one left. Kohli went for Jadeja, and Afridi took the risk. He went six and a four in an over where it yielded 13 runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar had a couple of overs left and he came to deliver. But he too conceded 13 runs with a boundary from Afridi and a maximum from Gul.
The equation came down to 17 required in three. Mohammad Shami, who was going to be bowled out, bowled tremendously well with the presence of the dew, conceding only four. With 13 needed, Kumar then bowled spectacularly, getting the wickets of both Gul and Talha while giving away three runs.
Also Read: Shahid Afridi – The Celebrated Hero
The final over saw Ashwin coming back to defend 10 runs. IND needed two wickets and straight away Ashwin bowled Ajmal around his legs. This left Junaid Khan to face the genius spinner. Ashwin bowled a similar ball, but slightly shorter where Junaid easily nudged it for a single. With Afridi on strike, the team required nine from four. It was boom or bust from the star man.
TONK! Goes Afridi in what was an unbelievable shot. I’d be honest here, and perhaps most of us green fans thought that this would be caught. The surprise to see that ball going for a six brought cheers to us fans. With a run-a-ball three needed, a sensible batter would go for grounded shots. But Shahid Afridi being Shahid Afridi sent the ball again for a six and let out his star celebration to give Pakistan a victory for ages.
Even after ten years, this special memory will forever remain with us. And while Pakistan failed to win the Asia Cup, losing to Sri Lanka in the final, a match like this will always put a smile on everyone’s face.
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