New Delhi: Cricket has triumphed over terror. That's how Pakistani cricket fans have been celebrating this week. The cricket hungry crowd lapped up the Independence Cup, with capacity crowd attending the first T20I matches held so far in Lahore's historic Gaddafi Stadium. ( Live Scorecard )


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WORLD XI; Target 184 runs 


Overs 20 || Score 150/8 || Badree 0 (2) ; Sammy 24 (23)


43 runs from 12 deliveries. Impossible for World XI, espeacially with just two wickets in their hand. Hasan in for his final over. Five runs off it.


39 to get. Six sixes...no, no, no for World XI. Raees to finsih it off. Fifth ball, Sammy with a straight drive and got a boundary. Five from the over.


Pakistan lift the Independence Cup with a 2-1 victory finishing the final game with a 33-run victory  


Overs 18 || Score 140/8 || Badree 0 (1) ; Sammy 14 (12)


Hasan in for his third over. Six! First ball, Sammy muscled it over long-on for a maximum. Last ball, Miller went for a biggy, but the ball failed to cross the rope and instad found Babar Azam in the deep midwicket region. Another huge wicket for Pakistan. Nine off the over.


Usman followed in. Run out once again. Fifth in the game and Morne Morkel became the unfortunate victim. Samule Badree walked in next. Three from the over.  


Overs 16 || Score 128/6 || Miller 31 (26) ; Sammy 4 (6)


Darren Sammy walked in next. Usman in for his third over. Seven from the over.


65 runs required in five overs. Raees in for his third over. Last ball, shorter down to the leg side as Miller romps it over short fine leg for a boundary. Nine off the over.  


Overs 14 || Score 112/6 || Miller 21 (18) ; 0 (0)


Shadab in for his third over. And Perera with two back-to-back sixes. Absolutely humongous! Can he do it again tonight in the decider where things have been falling apart for the World XI side. And another maximum to make in three in a row. Four to follow. 22 runs in four deliveries. 100 up for the visitors too. 24 off the over.


World XI need 79 runs off 42 deliveries. Usman returned for his second. Fifth ball, fullish to the off as Perera sliced it away to the fence for a boundary. And a BIG wicket for Pakistan! Thisara Perara is the man to depart. Little up the length, mistimed and Babar Azam took it at covers.  


Overs 12 || Score 81/5 || Miller 18 (17) ; Perera 4 (4)


Thisara Perera walked in as the new batsman. Shadab back in to give away just five singls form his second over.


Hasan Ali returned for his second. Last ball, Miller powered it down to long-on for a boundary. Eight from the over.  


Overs 10 || Score 67/5 || Miller 8 (8) ; 0 (0)


Shadab Khan stepped in for his first over and gave away five runs.


Wasim in for his final over. Du Plessis departed. Just when they lookd to rebuild, another mishap.  


Overs 8 || Score 53/4 || Miller 0 (2) ; du Plessis 9 (8)


Change in attack as Mohammad Nawaz stepped in for his first over. Seven from the over and 50 up for World XI. Huffing and puffing their way through.


Imad Wasim in for his thrird. Fourth ball, inside edge as Bailey failed to cut it through and the ball rattled against the stumps. David Miller in now. Two Proteas batsman now, can they take the tourists through?  


Overs 6 || Score 43/3 || Bailey 1 (8) ; du Plessis 1 (2)


Hasan Ali stepped in for his first. Second ball, outfoxed and inside edge and out. Cutting failed make the cut and BOOM, goes Hasan. And then a mishap! Amla became the unfortunate one and walked back with shere disappointment. Goerge Bailey and skipper Faf du Plessis are the two players at the crease. Six runs from the over.


Rumman Raees stepped in next and bowled a maiden over. Splendid from th apcer! The first in the series.  


Overs 4 || Score 37/1 || Cutting 1 (2) ; Amla 21 (12)


Ben Cutting walked in next. Imad Wasim in for his second over. First ball, shimmied down the tarck to swivel it over mid-on for a boundary. Eight runs from the over.


Usman followed in. Second ball, fullish and Amla powered it straight down the track for a boundary. Fourth ball, little up the length, swung it down keeping it on the middle line as Amla punched it down square-leg for a boundary. And another boundary! Fullish to the off side and Amla picked it over mid-on, one bounce and over the rope. 14 from the over.  


Overs 2 || Score 15/1 || 0 (0) ; Amla 0 (2)


Tamim Iqbal and Hasim Amla stepped in eyeing a defendable (probably?) 183. Imad Wasim warmed up with the new ball. Bangladeshi batsman punished the spinner with two back-to-back boundaries. And then again from the fifth ball down deep midwicket. 13 from the over. Poor start by the hosts!


Usman Khan in for the second over. Lastball, fullish delivery and the ball outfoxed Tamim to rattle against the stumps.  


Over 20 || Score 183/4 || Sarfraz 0 (0) ; Malik 17 (7)


Shoaib Malik walked in next. Morkel for his final over. Fifth ball, full toss, moutside off as Malik dispatched it staright, high over long-on for a six. 11 from the over.


Last six deliveries to go and Perera stepped in. First ball, slowere delivery and Babar mistiming his shot sent it straight to du Plessis at covers. In came Imad Wasim. Second ball, low full toss and Malik ramped it over deep midwicket for a six. Fifth ball, slow yorker and Wasim was the man to depart. Eight from the over.  


Over 18 || Score 163/2 || Babar 45 (27) ; 0 (0)


Morne returned for the death overs. First ball, slower delivery, back of the length well outside the off stump as Babar Azam cuts it slily past the slip for a boundary to third man. Clever! Third ball, and Shehzad too joined the party with a four edged down to fine leg for a boundary. Then again! Cheeky scoop, used the pace and dispatched the full toss over the keeper for a boundary. 15 from the over.


Cutting brought back for his second over. Shehzad absolutely on fire with two back-to-back sixes. Yorkers seemed to be going haywire. And a hat-trick! Another six from Shehzad. 100-run partnership from 57 deliveries. And the opener departed from an unfortunate run-out.  


Over 16 || Score 127/1 || Babar 39 (24) ; Shehzad 60 (47)


Tahir in for his third over. Five runs of the four deliveries as 50-run pertnership comes up for the duo off just 37 deliveries. Fourth ball, fullish on the off line as Babar Azam powered it over the bowler for a boundary down the line. Much needed effort for the hosts. 10 from the over.
Perera for his third. First ball, blistering cover drive from Babar Azam to bring up a boundary. 10 from the over.


Over 14 || Score 107/1 || Babar 25 (17) ; Shehzad 54 (42)


Sammy in for his final over. Single from the first delivery and Shehzad notched up his T20I fifty. Superb from the opener! Four more singles and 100 came up for Pakistan.


Perera returned for his second over. First ball, Azam whipped it over backward square for a biggyyyy.....dropped at fine leg by Tahir. Blunder! Six singles form the over.  



Over 12 || Score 95/1 || Babar 19 (11) ; Shehzad 49 (36)


Sammy for his third over. Third ball, back of the length delivery as Babar ramped it over midwicket for a boundary. Nine runs from the over.


Samuel Badree returned for his third over. Fourth ball, ouside off, shorter delivery as Babar looking for a cut edged it through slip and luckily got a boundary down thrird man. 10 from the over.  


Over 10 || Score 76/1 || Babar 6 (4) ; Shehzad 43 (31)


Sammy back in for his second over. Secon delivery, run-out mishap and Fakhara Zaman, who clearly looked dangerous as possible turned out to be the unfortunate one. Walks back and in comes Babar Azam. Has been splendid in the last two matches, especially the first one. Shehzad survived a run-out scare in the final delivery, looked absolutely lazy in the last few strides...but saved. Seven runs from the over.


Tahir for his second over. Third ball, fullish, outside off as Shehzad spanked it down the track for a four down to long-on region. 10 from the over.  


Over 8 || Score 59/0 || Zaman 27 (25) ; Shehzad 32 (23)


That was a cracking start by the home team, 51 runs notched up at the end of the powerplay session. Change in attack as Darren Sammy stepped in for his first over. Just two singles from the over.


Imran Tahir followed in for his first. Did play nicely in the last game. Six runs from the over.  


Over 6 || Score 51/0 || Zaman 24 (21) ; Shehzad 27 (15)


Change in attack as Ben Cutting stepped in for his first over. Just four runs from the over.


Another new bowler into the attack – Thisara Perera, last match's hero. First ball, length delivery, down to the leg side as Shehzad punched it through square-leg for a boundary. Fourth ball, shorter delivery, swung it down to the off side as Zaman with an upper cut punched it hard over third man for a six. 50 up for the home team. 13 from the over.  


Over 4 || Score 34/0 || Zaman 14 (14) ; Shehzad 20 (10)


Badree in for his econd over. Fourth ball, Fakhar shimmied down the track to smash it down extra cover for a boundary. Six from the over.


Morne Morkel followed in, First ball, straight and back of the length, well outside the off stump as Shehzad punched it through covers for a boundary. Six from the over.  


Over 2 || Score 22/0 || Zaman 8 (6) ; Shehzad 14 (6)


Fakhar Zaman and Amhed Shehzad are out at the crease while it seemed that Faf du Plessis would start off with a spinner. Samuel Badree in with the new ball for the first over. Third ball, inside out, nicely adjusted and Shezad elegantly cut it square through point for a boundary. Fifth ball, turned it in, shorter delivery as Zaman ramped it over midwicket for a boundary. 12 off the over.


Morne Morkel came in next to share the new ball. And Shehzad punished him with two back-to-back boundaries – one through long-on and the next one whipped over midwicket.  


PAK XI: F Zaman, A Shehzad, B Azam, S Malik, S Ahmed, I Wasim, M Nawaz, S Khan, H Ali, U Khan, R Raees


WXI XI: T Iqbal, H Amla, F du Plessis, G Bailey, D Miller, NTLC Perera, D Sammy, B Cutting, S Badree, M Morkel, I Tahir


TOSS TIME: Faf du Plessis wins the toss and opts to field first 


Pakistan welcomed back international cricket with an applauding all-round show at Gaddafi stadium on Tuesday, September 12 that witnessed the home team bag a 20-run victory. However, Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera's splendid show both with the ball and with the willow assisted the touring World XI side to put things back on level terms on Wednesday. It was, in fact, World XI's first victory in 12 years, 8 months and 3 days. Earlier, they had five successive international defeats.


 Ergo, a thriller to end the series. What else could a Pakistani cricket fan demand?


 


Likely playing XIs


Pakistan: Ahmed Shehzad, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Sohail Khan, Hasan Ali/Usman Shinwari, Rumman Raees


World XI: Tamim Iqbal, Hashim Amla, Tim Paine (wk), Faf du Plessis (capt), Thisara Perera, David Miller/George Bailey, Darren Sammy, Ben Cutting, Samuel Badree, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir