An India vs Pakistan final at the T20 World Cup?
Well, it’s a real possibility now. South Africa did a South Africa on the final day of Group 2 Super 12 matches by crashing to a famous (or in their case infamous) defeat to the Netherlands when a simple victory would have given them a ticket to the world cup semifinals.
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The stunning result though opened the doors wide open for Bangladesh and Pakistan to join India in the last-four stage. The two rivals clashed at the Adelaide Oval with former champions Pakistan, who at one point of the tournament were all but ready to depart for home, made a remarkable turnaround to push ahead and make it to the semifinals.
How India Made it to The Semis?
One of the favourites to go through from the Group 2, India started their campaign with a nerve-shredding win over Pakistan as Virat Kohli played a knock for the ages to guide them to a last-ball win. They sailed to a second straight win against the Netherlands before losing to South Africa. The next match against Bangladesh then became a must-win for 2007 champions and they edged past their neighbours in a nail-biter to keep their hopes alive.
South Africa then lost to the Netherlands meaning India advanced as the first team from their group to the semis.
How Pakistan Made it to the Semis?
Their campaign couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start. If the defeat to old rivals India wasn’t enough to dent their confidence, they lost to Zimbabwe by one run and now were staring at the exit door. They needed India to beat South Africa to keep them in semis race but it didn’t happen. Now, the fate was out of their hands.
Pakistan then defeated the Netherlands and also got the better of favourites South Africa to roar back into contention. However, they needed what then seemed like an unlikely outcome – South Africa losing to the Netherlands in their final match. This time, their prays were answered meaning the clash with Bangladesh became a virtual quarterfinal. Pakistan won by five wickets to join India, New Zealand and England in the semis.
Shades of 2007 World T20
Remember the inaugural ICC World T20 held in South Africa? India and Pakistan began their respective campaigns facing each other during the event. And it ended in a tie with the winner decided by the bowl out. MS Dhoni-led India went on to win the contest. The two rivals would meet again and this time in the title clash.
Again, a nail-biter followed and even this time, India held on for a memorable win to become the first ever team to lift the world title.
An India-Pakistan Final?
Yes, it can happen. The two teams will now clash with opponents from the Group 1 in their respective semifinal matches and obviously, a win for each will result in the two rivals coming face-to-face for the second time in the tournament and this time, the world cup will be the top prize aside from the bragging rights.
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