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Rediff.com  » Cricket » Bumrah's heroics: Best final T20Is overs

Bumrah's heroics: Best final T20Is overs

By Rajneesh Gupta
February 01, 2017 08:42 IST
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When Jasprit Bumrah came to bowl the 20th over in the T20I against England in Nagpur, he had just 7 runs to defend.
At the end of the over, the 23 year old from Vadodara had delivered an incredible win and written himself into the record books.
Rajneesh Gupta presents the finest bowling heroics in the 20th over in recent T20Is.

Jasprit Bumrah

IMAGE: Jasprit Bumrah celebrates after bowling India to victory in Nagpur, January 29, 2017. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters

It looked a lost cause for India till Jasprit Bumrah turned the tables as he bowled a splendid final over to guide the hosts to a thrilling 5 run victory against England in the second Twenty20 International in Nagpur on Sunday, January 29.

Bumrah had only 7 runs to defend, but the Gujarat fast bowler held his nerve in a pressure situation, conceding just 2 runs (including a bye) while picking up two wickets to help India snatch victory from the jaws of certain defeat.

Rajneesh Gupta presents recent instances when bowlers came up with match-winning 20th overs in run chases.

Dwayne Bravo (West Indies) vs India, Lauderhill, 2016

IMAGE: Dwayne Bravo, centre, celebrates with team mates after the West Indies won the first T20I against India. Photograph: BCCI

This match was an exhibition of hard hitting as batsmen from both teams made merry, but the game will surely be remembered for Dwayne Bravo's memorable last over.

The West Indies posted a mammoth 245/6 riding on Evin Lewis' 48-ball hundred and a scintillating 79 by Johnson Charles.

India replied back in style as first Rohit Sharma and then K L Rahul took the West Indies bowlers to the cleaners.

After the 19th over in India's innings, a total of 483 runs were scored in the match at a rate of 12.38 with 32 sixes and 35 fours.

With only 8 runs needed for victory and cricket's best finisher -- Mahendra Singh Dhoni -- at the crease along with a well set Rahul, the result looked a foregone conclusion.

T20 specialist Dwayne Bravo -- Dhoni's team-mate at the now banned Chennai Super Kings -- broke India's hearts with an unbelievable last over.

Dhoni swung wildly off the first ball, got a thick edge, but Marlon Samuels dropped the simplest of chances at short thirdman.

More importantly, it gave the strike back to Rahul who had been hitting the bowlers all over the park. But he could manage only a single off the next ball.

Bravo then cramped Dhoni for space and allowed only a leg bye off the third to leave the equation at 5 needed off 3 balls for the win.

The fourth ball was a low full toss that Rahul hit to long on resulting in yet another single.

The penultimate delivery was a perfect yorker. Dhoni managed to dig it, the ball bounced over Bravo's head, the bowler got a hand to it, but the batsmen ran two instead of a single.

The match was in the balance with 2 needed off the last ball. Importantly, India had Captain Cool on strike. Dhoni had delivered on cue in such situations so many times.

The West Indies players took several minutes to discuss their strategy.

Bravo bowled the perfect final delivery to deny his IPL team-mate the 2 runs needed and left the Indians in shock.

He foxed Dhoni with a slower ball. The skipper had already made up his mind to push the ball onto the off side and look for two runs.

But the ball took the outside edge and this time Samuels made sure to hold on to the catch to give the West Indies a superb win.

Neville Madziva (Zimbabwe) vs India, Harare, 2016

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

IMAGE: Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Another rare situation when Dhoni failed to finish a match with the bat.

Over the years, Dhoni has made his reputation as arguably the best finisher the game has seen.

He takes pride in the fact how he takes the contest to the last over when all that matters is who blinks between him and the bowler.

But he came up short against Zimbabwe pace bowler Neville Madziva, who was defending just 7 runs.

Zimbabwe made 170 batting first and even though Dhoni was leading a young inexperienced side, it seemed India would chase it down without much problem.

India's run chase stuttered in the middle and the equation came down to 21 needed from two overs for victory.

The visitors had five wickets in hand.

Fast bowler Donald Tiripano, who bowled the penultimate over, conceded only 7 runs off the first 5 balls of the over to make it 14 needed from 7 balls for victory.

Axar Patel dented Zimbabwe's chances as he slammed the last ball of Tiripano's over for a 6 which brought the equation down to 8 runs for victory off the final over.

Madziva, who had conceded 12 runs in his previous over, was entrusted the task of bowling the all-important final over.

Dhoni was happy to take a single off the first ball, then saw Axar get out off the next ball, trying for a big hit.

The batsmen had crossed when the catch was being taken, which brought Dhoni back on strike.

Madziva bowled a wide yorker restricting Dhoni to just another single which he again was happy to take and bring new batsman Rishi Dhawan on strike.

The pacer bowled another wide yorker which beat Dhawan before he sent down a wide. Dhawan steered the next ball to third man for a single, handing the strike back to Dhoni.

India needed 4 runs to win off the last ball and they had Dhoni on strike.

The Indian captain could only get a single off the final ball as Madziva again got the yorker right outside the off-stump.

There were wild celebrations at the Harare Sports Club as Zimbabwe registered one of its finest wins in international cricket.

Hardik Pandya (India) vs Bangladesh, Bangalore, 2016

IMAGE: Mahendra Singh Dhoni runs out Mustafizur Rahman (not in picture) to take India to victory in the ICC World T20 game in Bengaluru. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters

In a match of fluctuating fortunes, Bangladesh came very close to registering its first win over India in Twenty20 Internationals.

The match was a do-or-die for the Indians as a defeat would have knocked them out of the World Twenty20 in the Super 10 stage, in their backyard.

Batting first, India posted a below par 146/7.

Bangladesh kept losing wickets at regular intervals, but ensured that the runs kept coming too.

The equation came down to 11 runs off the last over, with two set batsmen -- Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim -- at the crease.

With all the specialist bowlers having finished their spells, Dhoni handed the responsibility to bowl the final over to inexperienced all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

Mahmudullah took a single off the first ball before Rahim hit the two next balls for successive fours -- through the covers followed by a scoop over Dhoni's head.

With two needed off three balls it looked as if the result was a foregone conclusion, but as they say in cricket 'It ain't over till it's over!'

Bangladesh, perhaps, got too far ahead of themselves. They aimed to finish off the game with some big hits when the situation demanded a calm head and a couple of singles.

Rahim played the pull shot, but hit it straight into the hands of the fielder.

The batsmen had crossed when the ball was in the air, which brought Mahmudullah back on strike on the fifth ball, with two runs needed from two balls for victory.

Pandya bowled a full toss. Mahmudullah went for a big hit and ended up skying it high to be caught by Ravindra Jadeja, who did well to hold onto a tough running catch.

The two wickets saw India pull back things. Two were needed off the final ball for victory.

After a mini-meeting with Dhoni, Pandya bowled a short ball wide outside off, as Shuvagata Home went for a wild swing, but could not connect.

The batsmen set off for the bye that would have tied the scores, but Dhoni was already prepared for it.

He sprinted up to the stumps and run out Mustafizur Rahman.

The crowd at the M Chinnaswamy stadium broke into a huge cheer and wild celebrations as the third umpire pressed the red light to confirm the run out

India had snatched victory as Bangladesh self destructed right at the end.

Dale Steyn (South Africa) vs New Zealand, Chittagong, 2014

Dale Steyn

IMAGE: Dale Steyn runs out Ross Taylor. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

New Zealand were chasing 171 runs in this World T20 game and looked set to chase it down without much fuss.

Martin Guptill and Kane Richardson gave their side a rollicking start adding 57 runs in 7 overs before Morne Morkel got rid of the former.

It looked difficult for South Africa to stop New Zealand's charge as all their bowlers, except Dale Steyn, struggled to keep the runs down.

The match looked firmly in New Zealand's grasp as they reached 133/3 in 15 overs, needing only 38 runs in the last 5 overs -- a walk in the park for any team with 7 wickets in hand.

South Africa didn't give up and after some tight overs, the equation got tough.

New Zealand needed 21 runs off the last 2 overs for victory.

Morkel, who had been expensive earlier, was asked to bowl the penultimate over and was hit for 14 runs by Luke Ronchi and Ross Taylor.

With only 7 runs to defend and two hard-hitters at the crease, the game looked out of South Africa's reach, but they had their premier strike bowler -- Dale Steyn -- to bowl the last over of the match.

Steyn dismissed Ronchi off his first ball.

New batsman Nathan McCullum tried to whack Steyn out of the stadium, but failed to connect. He then played another dot, trying to work the ball to the leg side.

With the pressure mounting, McCullum brought some relief to his team as he smacked Steyn over extra cover for a much needed boundary.

With three needed off two balls, McCullum hit one straight to the fielder on the off side to lose his wicket.

Taylor took strike as he had crossed over before the catch was completed.

The experienced Taylor, batting on 62 off 36, need to score 3 runs off the last ball for a win.

Steyn brought all his experience into play as he bowled a full wide delivery, which Taylor could only play back to the bowler, who calmly collected it, ran towards the non-striker's end to effect a run-out.

South Africa had stolen a narrow 2 run victory.

Five dot balls in the final over of a T20 game was simply incredible even from one of the best bowlers of his generation.

Marchant de Lange (South Africa) vs New Zealand, Auckland, 2012

Marchant de Lange

IMAGE: Marchant de Lange celebrates a wicket. Photograph: Phil Walter/Getty Images

Another South Africa versus New Zealand encounter, which went down to the wire.

New Zealand were on track for an easy victory after keeping South Africa to a modest total on a ground with short boundaries at Eden Park in Auckland.

The hosts needed 25 runs from the final 5 overs with 7 wickets in hand, which they brought down to 17 from 4 overs with 6 wickets left.

Surely, New Zealand could not lose from this position!

Off-spinner Johan Botha brought South Africa back in the game, conceding only 5 runs in the 17th and 19th overs.

Botha was helped by some inexplicable batting from Jesse Ryder, who made a comeback into the side.

The left-hander took it easier than he should have and slowed down considerably as he approached his 50.

He consumed far too many dot balls (scoring only 4 from his last 15 balls) and got out at the most inappropriate time.

Ryder's dismissal off the penultimate ball of the 19th over meant New Zealand had 2 new batsmen at the crease for the final over.

Still, the odds were in the home side's favour as they needed only 7 runs to win off the last over.

Pacer Marchant de Lange was assigned to bowl the last over. He looked in total control, conceding only 1 run from the first 5 balls, while picking up two wickets.

With victory in South Africa's grasp, de Lange over-stepped and bowled a no-ball off which one run was scored.

This meant that the last ball was a free-hit and all that the batsman had to do was to connect it well without any question of getting out.

Tim Southee, who is capable of hitting the big sixes, was on strike. But de Lange denied him the big hit as he bowled a good delivery outside the off-stump which the right-hander swung at, but missed.

South Africa had a narrow 3 run victory and for once finished on the other side of a choke!

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Rajneesh Gupta

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE 2024

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE 2024