In a battle between the cricketing giants that lived up to the hype, India emerged victorious against Pakistan in the final of the inaugural World Championship of Legends yesterday. Chasing 157 for victory, veteran batsmen Ambati Rayudu and Yusuf Pathan guided the team home with their gutsy performances to seal the win.
Opting to bat first, Pakistan got off to a brisk start courtesy Kamran Akmal and Maqsood’s quick fire cameos. However, regular wickets prevented them from capitalizing fully. Anchor Shoaib Malik’s 41 kept the scoreboard ticking while late strikes from Sohail Tanvir took them to a respectable 156.
India’s new ball bowlers got the early breakthroughs required but Rayudu’s quick half-century eased the pressure. His well-paced innings set the platform for the chase before he fell after scoring 50 off just 30 deliveries. Gurkeerat Singh then steadied the ship with Yusuf Pathan playing the finisher’s role perfectly with a 16-ball 30.
Despite some hiccups, the veteran duo of captain Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan ensured no further drama as they guided India home in the last over with five wickets in hand. The win highlighted the depth in Indian cricket’s bench as they captured the inaugural legends tournament title narrowing edging arch-rivals Pakistan in a last-ball thriller.
