Shades of '92 in Pakistan's run against all odds

It's 1992 again, Pakistan fans. Plenty of theories around the astonishing similarities between the 1992 World Cup and the ongoing T20 World Cup have been circulating throughout social media over the last few days and their win against New Zealand in the first semi-final will be another delightful addition to those. 

30 years ago, Imran Khan's Pakistan, after a wobbly start, made the final by beating New Zealand in the semi-final. The story is the same this time around although the format is different. But there's no harm in drawing parallels as long as the team is winning, no?

Pakistan cricket is at its best when the backs are against the wall. Be it the 1992 World Cup or the 2017 Champions Trophy. And just like those two campaigns, they roared back after difficult starts. Pakistan cricket is massively driven by passion but Pakistan didn't just win a semi-final against New Zealand, they also won a tactical battle against a team known for their superb strategy.

The SCG crowd was in for a fascinating battle from the first ball itself. Finn Allen, one of the most fearsome strikers of the cricket ball, was up against one of the best in the business - Shaheen Shah Afridi. Now, Allen generally struggles a bit against left-arm seamers inside the powerplay. But the flamboyant batter took down Mitchell Starc in the first match of the Super 12s. So, it was interesting to see the battle between Allen and Afridi for the first time in T20 cricket. 

It was a mad three-ball battle that included a boundary, a successful review and an unsuccessful one. The wicket of Allen ensured New Zealand didn't have a powerful start on a pitch that was very subcontinent-like - the ball didn't come on to the bat as quickly as the batters expected as the powerplay was over and the pacers started using cross-seamers and cutters to restrict the batters.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson faced a lot of criticism because of his low strike-rate in the early part of the tournament. But he returned to some sort of form with a fine knock against Ireland but against Pakistan, he once again struggled to maintain a good strike-rate. 46 off 42 is never even an average innings when the team loses just four wickets. His batting form continues to be a bone in the throat post his elbow injury for the Black Caps.

Daryl Mitchell once again delivered at the big stage and it was his second fifty in the T20 World Cup semis. His chance to pull off a Grant Elliott (to take his team to the final at the MCG) nipped in the bud as the duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan took the center stage for the first time in the tournament. And what a time to turn up!

Up until this match, the SCG was a bat-first ground. Teams batting first had won five out of six games at this venue batting first in this tournament and the only successful chase was England's 142 against Sri Lanka. The toss was won by New Zealand and without any surprise, Williamson opted to bat. So, Pakistan had to pick up lessons from that England chase. And they did exactly that.

Many may wonder why Rizwan and Babar went so hard at the powerplay despite the target being a middling 153. Going hard could be their new approach after so much criticism but the more rational answer lies in that chase by England. Chasing 142, Alex Hales and Jos Buttler notched up 70 inside the powerplay and in spite of their strong start, England had to work hard and wait until the final over to chase it down. 

It became increasingly difficult for England that night as time progressed but in the end they were home just because of that prolific powerplay. Pakistan had already seen in the first innings how difficult batting could be against the slightly older ball and they decided to go the "England way".

Babar was a little bit late to start his show but Rizwan was in top gear right from the start. Pakistan were 55 for no loss after the first six overs and it was comfortably their best powerplay across the last two World Cups. Things got a little bit messy towards the end for Pakistan with wickets falling quickly but they were always ahead of the required run rate because the opening duo attacked in the powerplay, for a change. Keeping in mind the England-Sri Lanka game, it was the right approach and the duo executed the plan to perfection.

"We planned before going that we'll utilise the powerplay," said Babar in the post-match presentation. Personally, it was an important knock for the Pakistan captain. He had been a pale shadow of himself in the tournament but came out firing when the team needed the captain to stand up.

From time to time, it felt like New Zealand were playing like Pakistan and vice versa. How often do you see a team like New Zealand drop three catches and miss a run out chance in a 20-over game? 

On the contrary, Pakistan were brilliant in the field to say the least. Think about Shadab Khan's direct throw to run Devon Conway out or the diving stop by Haris Rauf at the deep midwicket boundary. Just recently, Shadab took the responsibility for Pakistan's loss in the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka following a poor fielding display. With his brilliant performances in the tournament so far and smashing the bull's eye on Wednesday, it feels like the all-rounder is making up for those errors. Don't be surprised if he bags the player-of-the-tournament award on Sunday. 

Pakistan's team mentor Matthew Hayden revealed a chat at the dug out when Shadab said, "Welcome to Pakistan cricket" which suggested their unpredictability and ability to take on any team in the world. 

At one stage, Pakistan needed 19 off 15 and that's when youngster Muhammad Haris smashed a four and a six to seal the game for Pakistan. He was added to the squad as Fakhar Zaman's replacement and the right-hander's aggressive approach has been a breath of fresh air. There was some criticism regarding his selection in the squad with former players like Saeed Ajmal suggesting that Haris was included because of board president Ramiz Raja's "favouritism". Actually many people back in Pakistan were unhappy with the squad and a lot of things but for now, they can celebrate. 

Pakistan came into the tournament with zero wins on Australian soil and after two matches, they were still not off the mark. In less than two weeks, they are now in the final of the T20 World Cup, absolutely out of nowhere.

Shadab and Pakistan now can say it proudly again. Welcome to Pakistan cricket.