Islamabad United enters the finals of the ongoing PSL edition beating Babar’s Peshawar Zalmi by 5 wickets. The 72-run-strong partnership went in vain after Haider Ali and Imad Wasim both played great comeback knocks with half-centuries for Islamabad United.
1st Innings Batting
Started very well Babar Azam’s 25 in 22 balls and Saim Ayub’s 47 runs combined 72 runs for the 1st wicket in just 7.4 overs. Babar Azam got caught by Shadab Khan in Naseem Shah’s bowling in 7.4 overs.
Wicketkeeper batsman for Peshawar Zalmi Mohammad Haris entered as number 3 batsman in the crease. The second-wicket partnership of 59 runs between Saim Ayub and Mohammed Haris gives Islamabad’s middle-order batsman a strong foundation.
Another opening Batter Saim Ayub departs in 14.3 overs after playing an impressive knock of 73 runs in just 44 balls including 6 fours and 4 sixes. At 15.4 overs Mohammad Haris also departs for 40 runs in just 25 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes in his name. Peshawar had reached 139/3 in 15.4 over
Having lots of wickets in hand Peshawar is expected to cross the 200-run mark and give Islamabad a strong total. They remained 15 runs away from crossing the 200-run mark. Adding 44 runs in the death over Peshawar gives a target of 185 to Islamabad United after Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Aamir Jamal added 18 runs in 9 balls and 17 runs in 9 balls respectively.
1st Inning bowling
Naseem Shah took 3 wickets including Babar, Mohammad Haris, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore in his 4-over spell giving away 30 runs with an economy of 7.50. Obed McCoy took 1 wicket giving expensive 50 runs in his spell with an economy of 12.50. Captain Shadab Khan also took 1 wicket giving away 35 runs with an economy rate of 8.75.
Imad Wasim remains the most economical giving away just 23 runs with an economy rate of 5.75 yet remaining wicketless in his spell. Faheem Ashraf and Salman Ali Agha bowl 3 overs and 1 over respectively and remain wicketless.
2nd Innings Batting
In the second innings, Martin Guptill and Alex Hales came out as opening batters for Islamabad United but Islamabad failed to capitalize on the powerplay overs and lose wickets in regular intervals. Alex Hales departed early for just 1 run off 2 balls, he got caught by Mehran Mumtaz in Saim Ayub’s last ball of the the first over.
Salman Ali Agha enters the crease for batting as the number 3 batsman but cannot make a huge difference in the scoreboard and gets bowled by Saim Ayub in 5th ball of over No.3 and score was 20/2.
After two early Dismissals of Islamabad United, Captain Shadab Khan himself came to bat at number 4 but made no change in the scorecard. Shadab Khan got dismissed by Mehran Mumtaz and got duckout facing just 2 balls, in the 3.3 over and score was 21/3.
Pakistani Allrounder Imad Wasim joined the set batsman Martin Guptill in the crease at No. 5. The tension in the Islamabad Dugouts peaked when Well set Opening batsman Martin Guptill also departed for 34 runs off 21 balls in Khurram Shahzad’s over in the last ball of power play. As a result, Islamabad United are reduced to 50/4 at the end of the 1st powerplay.
Imad Wasim absorbed the pressure so well and started adding runs in the boards with Azam Khan. Azam Khan somehow tried to sympathize the inning but got dismissed by Luke Wood in 10.6th over for 22 runs off 17 balls with 1 six and 1 four.
As a result, Islamabad United was 91/5 at the end of 11 overs and tension increased in Islamabad’s dugout as Peshawar almost sealed the game off to enter the finals.
After A. Khan’s Dismissals, Young Haider Ali entered into the crease in the Do or Die situation as the No. 7 batsman for Islamabad. Haider Ali and Imad Wasim played so well absorbing the pressure and hitting the bowlers here and there for sixes and fours.
The 98-run match-winning partnership pulled the game from the jaws of defeat and led Islamabad United to the finals. The brilliant half-century knocks from both Imad Wasim and Haider Ali sealed the finals for Islamabad in 19th over of the match.
Imad Wasim hits 59 runs off 40 balls including 9 fours at a strike rate of 147.50. Haider Ali plays a truly impressive knock of 52 runs off just 29 balls with 5 sixes and 2 fours at a strike rate of 179.31.
2nd Inning bowling
Saim Ayub took 2 early wickets of Alex Hales and Salman Ali Agha in his 3-over spell giving away 34 runs with an economy rate of 11.33. Luke Wood gave 38 runs with 1 wicket in hand with an economy rate of 9.50. Mehran Mumtaz and Khurram Shahzad both took 1 wicket each giving away 31 and 22 runs respectively for the side.
Khurram Shahzad remains most economical for Peshawar Zalmi with an economy rate of 7.33 in his 3 overs. Aamir Jamal and Arif Yaqoob also bowl giving away 41 runs and 19 runs for Peshawar Zalmi.
Imad wasim was the player of the match for his 59(40) and 0-23(4). This is 1st time after 2018 Islamabad enter the finals and disappoints the Peshawar Zalmi as the game slip away from their grasp.
This is all we have for you from our side as a complete match coverage of thriller comeback match. We hope you enjoyed the coverage.