Haris Rauf and Co. made life difficult for the England batters but 137 proved not enough in the end ©Getty
Haris Rauf had already done something to re-ignite Pakistan's World Cup adventure once more against the fading light and set a partisan MCG crowd bouncing and heaving in support. When Naseem Shah slipped a wayward delivery down legside and past the 'keeper into the fence, Rauf, at third-man, kicked a boundary cushion in disgust. Straight after the act, he moved as if to rearrange the boundary but instead turned back around and began clapping and yelling encouragement in the direction of Naseem. The crowd right behind him that had been hushed momentarily, rallied around the young quick once more. Naseem hit back with four deliveries that left Jos Buttler stabbing at the chilly Melbourne air.
In the next over, Rauf took over and finished off what his younger protege couldn't: get the England captain edging one. He set off on a wild celebratory run towards the longest square boundary on the night and the MCG, so often the stage of his big performances, was dancing to his tunes too. If anyone could defend 137, it was Pakistan. If any attack could leave the England dugout on tenterhooks chasing a sub-par score a game after they'd mowed down 168 with four overs to spare, it was this.
It was a second half of a final that pulsed with colour and noise, with the tone set by Shaheen Shah Afridi. Alex Hales had batted in the nets in the hour leading up to the match with some assembled fans reminding him of the folly of his ways. He was told, in no uncertain terms, that practice was a pointless exercise if he was guaranteed to not see the second over anyway. Hales had smiled in the direction of the soothsayer-heckler but offered a very different facial reaction when Shaheen bent one back into his stumps at the start of the chase.
Pakistan needed early wickets to stand any chance of defending that score and as India had done in Perth against South Africa, they went full in search of swing and conceded a slew of boundaries to the drive in the process. In the context of a low-scorer, it was understandable, but also a little benevolent because
TAGS
