Posted by We were already fond of Haris Rauf’s look and disrespect for physics. Now we’re a fan of his batting too after he followed up a huge six against India with three almighty air swishes, the third of which netted Pakistan another two runs.
Going purely on slog aesthetics, the first yahoo was the best; a great big technique-free full body mow. All power, no finesse, zero contact with the ball.
Understandably proud of it, Haris repeated the effort to the next delivery, which is also quite a thing in its own way. You have to admire his decision-making.
‘I’m onto a winner here,’ he apparently concluded after that one and duly completed his slog-and-miss hat trick off the next ball, which also happened to be the last of the innings.
Haris Rauf is a smart man and he knows you always run off the last ball of a limited overs match, no matter where it goes. India’s wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik had a ping at the stumps and missed. Bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar then gathered and had a pop at the other set. He missed too and the batters ran a second bye.
Wild tail-ender hacks, no-one hitting what they’re aiming at, overthrows. Elite cricket at its best in the biggest match of the year.
Top slog, Haris Rauf.
Well played, Pakistan.
A little later, Virat Kohli swished and got bowled. And then ran three.
Top slogging, Virat.
Well played, India.
T20 is a bit too complicated for us these days, so we’re instead celebrating one of cricket’s oldest and simplest pleasures via our Slog of the Day feature.
Hero:
This is a better highlights package than https://www.t20worldcup.com
So far, it seems, I have missed the best bits of the WC matches.
Thanks to you, KC, I am being brought up to date with the essential aspects of the tournament.
That was classic limited overs cricket nonsense at the finish today.
13 needed off 3.
Then 6 needed off 3.
Then 5 needed off 3.
Then the batter was bowled and yet it still became 2 needed off 2.
Then a stumping and 2 needed off 1.
Then a leave(!) and 1 needed off 1.
Then chipped over a fielder for a single and the win.
Just real first rate cricket nonsense.
It was the rain that kept me away from that glorious ending, unfortunately. Daisy and I shifted our Sunday tennis slot a couple of hours to dodge the torrents.