Babar Azam might not have ever made India operate in
such a dull environment as that which prevailed at the Narendra Modi Stadium
while he was there. Even a simple hand wave can raise the decibel levels when
you are movie box office royalty. What are the possibilities that a spotless
cover drive will only provide silence that can be heard pin-dropping? Just
seems wrong, doesn’t it?
Even the most unbiased individual cannot suppress the
odd clap or loud thump when Babar hits. It’s only normal to feel this way when
you see something beautiful. And most of the time, this is how Babar shoots.
the types of photos that cost a lot of money to watch. Of course, many of the
visitors to Motera on Saturday made significant investments.
Babar was hardly loading up when you could see by the
startled stillness in the stadium that India had a chore before of it. Although
Rohit Sharma and company weren’t as anxious as the audience, they were aware of
how amazing their bowling was overall. And all it took to end the competition
was one spell of incredible power. Even batters with years of experience like
Babar and Mohammad Rizwan, fresh off a game-changing hit, weren’t immune to it.
Pakistan’s strategy appeared to be straightforward.
Create an innings, hit a deep pitch, and then start. Rizwan was a little more
daring in his pursuit than Babar, who mostly followed the script. You simply
don’t sweep Ravindra Jadeja against the turn, at least not that early. This was
one of his first acts.
Rohit realised the grasp had him. He returned to
Mohammed Siraj as required in the 28th over in the hopes of getting a wicket,
and two overs later, Siraj got Babar. He was only a fraction of a second late
for a ball that he intended to glide but was thwarted by the slide. You may
have questioned whether all of the danger was worthwhile for just one run, yet
he makes a lot of money off this shot.
Babar plays a pressure-relieving shot with wonderful
delicacy, but when he scores goals through them, it comes out as overly
sentimental and mushy. Additionally, his initial release shot wasn’t quite
accurate. This was the inch-sized gap that India would later expand into an acre.
Pakistan had been on a tightrope for the majority of
their innings, and that one play from Kuldeep and Bumrah was the nightmare that
could have destroyed everything they had accomplished thus far in this World
Cup. Two victories, including a record attempt, the ascent of young stars Saud
and Shafique, Babar’s return to form, and the enchantment of Rizwan. 8 for 36
overall in 80 balls in just over an hour is the stuff of nightmares.
All of a sudden, Pakistan experienced a little
haziness. The Motera was now silent and unremarkable.