LIONS HAVE THE LAST ROAR

England Are Now The Only Team In History To Simultaneously Hold Both ODI And T20 World Cups

- Partha.Bhaduri

Melbourne: Not rain. Not 1992 redux. Not Babar Azam. Not Shadab Khan. Not Shaheen Shah Afridi, who pulled out of his runup and hobbled out after one delivery in the 16th over to symbolise Pakistan’s day. Not an army of green. Not destiny. Just Ben Stokes.

In the end, in another World Cup final, in another famous England white-ball triumph, it’s Ben Stokes. The man who owns the big moments. Who waits till the tide turns his way. Who starts out batting like a cat on a hot tin roof on a bouncy MCG, against a fierce array of Pakistani pace, and ends up being its emperor supreme.

Ben Stokes, the greatest match-winner of his generation. You will remember the name forever, Pakistan. You will have it on your lips for the next few weeks.

Arguably, Stokes had a strange sort of tournament with the bat coming into the World Cup final: 2 vs Afghanistan, 6 vs Ireland, 8 vs New Zealand, 42 not out vs the Lankans. Not his usual fluent self. Not in T20Is in Australia at this time of year.

But this is a World Cup final. A seemingly gettable chase after England’s formidable bowling prowess boasting Sam Curran (3/12 off his four), Adil Rashid (2/22) and Chris Jordan (2/27) slow-chokes the life out of Pakistan’s batters and keeps them to 137/8.

It is a tricky chase made trickier by England’s bold approach with the rain threatening: they keep losing wickets but refuse to take a backward step and ensure they are always ahead of the DLS over-byover par scores at all points.