Pakistan welcomed the return of international cricket in its own backyard in the most fitting way as they beat the ICC World XI comprehensively by 33 runs in the third and final T20I to capture the Independence Cup 2-1.
For the first time in the series, World XI skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to bowl first on a Lahore pitch which has been a batting paradise as evident by the first two games.
The South African would have been left ruing that decision as the hosts, riding on a super 89 off just 55 deliveries from opener Ahmed Shehzad, put on an imposing total of 183-4 in its allotted 20 overs.
There would be no repeat of the improbable chase that the World XI pulled off on Wednesday as the Pakistan bowlers put up a stiffening display to restrict the star-studded visitors to 150-8 in their 20 overs.
In the final game of the series which has been much more than just about cricket, we look at the key talking points.
Shehzad has had a good time with the bat in the Independence Cup so far with scores of 39 and 43 in the first two T20Is. He put up an even more formidable display this time around and he was well on course to register his second T20I century before being run-out needlessly for 89 with two over still to spare.
The Pakistan opener was fluent from the very start as he smashed eight boundaries and three huge sixes in his knock of 89.
The three sixes that Shehzad hit came off the bowling of Australian Ben Cutting in the 18th over of the Pakistan innings. What made them special was that they came off consecutive deliveries making the opener the first Pakistan batsman to hit three consecutive sixes in T20Is.
Surprise surprise. Ahmed Shehzad today became first Pakistan batsman ever to hit 3 sixes in three balls in a T20 International. #PakvWXI
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) September 15, 2017
After losing Tamib Iqbal early in their chase of 184, the World XI sent on Aussie all-rounder Ben Cutting as a pinch-hitter at one down.
In the fifth over of the chase, bowled by pacer Hasan Ali, Cutting got off to a flier sending the first delivery for a boundary on the on-side.
Emboldened by the boundary, Cutting was hungry for more and tried to slog the following delivery for another boundary but could only chop the ball onto the stumps.
Skipper du Plessis replaced him at the crease with Hashim Amla well-set at the other end. The South African turned the first delivery he faced towards midwicket and set-off for a quick single.
Amla responded positively to the call and had advanced half-way down the pitch before du Plessis changed his mind and sent him back.
The change in mind from his Proteas teammate sold Amla short and a despairing dive could not save him as he was run-out for 21 runs.
Amla is run-out by Hasan Ali in the fifth over.
The tall Sri Lanka all-rounder had played one of the most ferocious T20I innings of all-time as his unbeaten 19-ball 47 had taken the World XI to an improbable victory after defeat was all but assured.
Perera arrived at the crease on Friday with the World XI in deep trouble at 5-67 with the required rate hovering around 12.
Pakistan’s young leg-spinner Shadab Khan has created quite an impact ever since bursting onto the international stage this year.
The 18-year-old teenager though will remember the punishment dished out by Perera on Friday for some while after the Sri Lankan tore into Khan’s leg-spin with three massive sixes and a boundary in the 13th over of the World XI innings.
Shadab’s first delivery was the wrong-one and Perera sent it sailing just over long-leg’s flailing arms for the first six. The second delivery, again a wrong-one, was sent quite a few rows back in what would be the biggest six of the series.
Thisara Perera smashed 23 runs off Shadab Khan’s 5 balls in the 13th over of the game. #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/68IqXt2R9V
— ICC Cricket (@ODI_Cricbuzz) September 15, 2017
The third delivery was flat-batted by Perera into the stands again and when Shadab bowled a straighter-one in the fourth, the ball was sent straight over his head for a one-bounce boundary.
The final two deliveries were contained to singles as the over would go on to fetch 24 runs and give the World XI a faint glimmer of hope after their early collapse.
