Shami’s hat-trick behind India’s last-over thrilling victory

By Kersi Meher-Homji

Shami Mohammed congratulated by the team members on his amazing hat-trick in the last over of India- Afghanistan match

I was complaining about no thrillers in the current Cricket World Cup (CWC). But last night saw two thrillers as India beat Afghanistan by 11 runs with only a ball to spare at Hampshire and New Zealand defeated West Indies by five runs with only six balls in hand at Manchester.

The critics had predicted an easy win for India over Afghanistan placed at the bottom of the Table. It did not turn out that way. On the contrary!

The Afghanis bowled and batted superbly to give India a scare, fighting bravely till the last over.

India’s master batsmen struggled against the Afghani attack, especially off-spinner Mohammad Nabi who took the prize scalps of Lokesh Rahul and captain Virat Kohli. India struggled to make only 8 for 224 on a good pitch in 50 overs, only Kohli (67) and Kedar Jadav (52) batting well. The other Indian batsmen disappointed, especially MS Dhoni who made an uncharacteristic slow 28 runs off 52 balls.

Afghanistan batsmen fought right till the end. At midway stage they appeared to stage the biggest upset in this CWC with Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi going great guns. But quicky tricky Jasprit Bumrah dismissed them both in one over.

Then Mohammad Nabi took over scoring 52 heart-warming runs off 55 balls.

Now to the cliff-hanging final over! Afghanistan needs 16 runs to win. Nabi hits Shami for a four off the first ball. But Shami hits back by dismissing Nabi next ball, caught by Hardik Pandya in the deep. Encouraged, Shami bowls the next two batsmen to claim a hat-trick and an Indian victory.

He became the second Indian after Chetan Sharma and 10th in the world to perform a hat-trick in CWC. Chetan Sharma was the first ever to do so, against New Zealand at Nagpur way back in 1987.

For dismissing in-form batsmen Rahmat and Hashmatullah in one over and bowling aggressively throuhout, Bumrah was adjudged Man of the Match.

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New Zealand beat West Indies by five runs with only six balls remaining in another thriller played last night. The Kiwis started badly, losing both their openers for ducks to Sheldon Cottrell but recovered through skipper and Man of the Match Kane Williamson scoring 148 glorious runs and adding 160 runs for the third wicket with Ross Taylor (69).

In reply to the Kiwis’ 8 for 291 the Windies fought back through Chris Gayle (87) and Carlos Brathwaite (101 gallant runs enriched with five sixes) and totalled 286 to lose narrowly.

New Zealand have 11 points from six matches, Australia 10 points from six, India 9 points from five, England 8 points from six and Sri Lanka 6 points from six.

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