The photos from the game would become part of World Cup mythology. Before his overjoyed teammates crowded in, Mohammad Rizwan ran the winning run maniacally while hobbling and limping. His dejected coworkers were strolling around like zombies, with Kushal Mendis inconsolable, staring pensively into the sky.
The events of this hot night in Hyderabad, where Pakistan heroically pursued 345, would be recounted a hundred times and transformed into bedtime tales that would capture the imagination of future generations.
The thriller, which came at last after over a week, might encourage support for the World Cup. The six-wicket victory by Pakistan against Sri Lanka, which saw them dismiss 345 runs, may have revived the lost fun of ODI cricket. It was one-day international cricket played with the exhilaration of a T20 game and the fluid drama of a Test match.
The battle of Rizwan would endure for a very long time. He appeared to move relatively easily toward the conclusion. Perhaps it was the knock’s kick or the glittering vision of victory. But a few days ago, Rizwan could hardly move.
He smacked Dhananjaya de Silva for a six, then collapsed to the ground, frantically flinging his equipment. The physio crew would dash over to ease the discomfort. He winced in pain as they stretched his legs.
He stumbled back to the ground though, biting and fighting the pain and only being able to see the way to success. He is accustomed to playing through pain; despite a lung illness and medical advise, he participated in the 2021 T20 World Cup final.
In the end, it was a victory of self-belief rather than drug-induced magic, of chutzpah and resolve rather than technical competence.
He lacked the energy to even acknowledge his hundred. He simply threw his bat on the ground, knelt down, and said a solemn prayer to the floodlit heavens. He did not miss a single chance to steal one or two despite the possibility that the suffering would have increased. And he completed the most significant victory for his nation in recent memory.
Rizwan has demonstrated in the past that he possesses the motivation and expertise necessary to plan a chase. But it has rarely shown up in such a revealing way. He would drudge along in a state of boredom until bursting into explosions.
He had a relaxed assurance rather than a hurry. With a graceful straight shot off Pathirana, he ended the 20-ball boundary drought. He would even forsake boundary balls at this time to give Pakistan the guarantee of wickets. In essence, this was their approach.
The traditional method of holding onto wickets and extending a game till the very end before changing up the pace. But in the following phase, he didn’t leave any loose balls unpunished. There, Sri Lanka also missed the flow of the game. Maybe the Kotla ghosts were still giving them the willies.
They were blatantly defensive, their fielding became shoddy, and they most definitely ran out of strategies. When Shafique and Rizwan detected the uneasiness enveloping Sri Lanka’s fielders and bowlers, they made an impact without their adversaries even realizing it.
They kept missing catches even as the game came to a finish. A Theekshana over spilled Saud Shakeel twice. Unplayable edges fell and mishits eluded the fielders. Sri Lanka may complain that their misfortune was due to their encounter with Rizwan, a limping, stumbling wall of courage, but it was the sole terrible circumstance.
