Video: Arshdeep Singh’s Dream Delivery To Babar Azam

It was as a perfect start as Rohit Sharma would have imagined when he opted to bowl first in the buzzing MCG cauldron, with overcast conditions and a considerable amount of assistance for pacers in the air and off the pitch.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar tied down Mohammad Rizwan in the first over wherein the only run came from a wide. Then it was Arshdeep Singh who was given the second over, sharing the new ball instead of Mohammed Shami who had had a terrific time bowling in the powerplay in IPL 2022.

Arshdeep has built up a reputation for being a superb death bowler, which he is. But also what many have realized only in the last series against South Africa is that Arshdeep is also adept in swinging the new ball both ways and challenging both the edges of the batter.

Well, it seems like Babar Azam didn’t get the memo regarding Arshdeep Singh as the Pakistani skipper was trapped in lbw first ball.

It was a deliciously excellent delivery that Babar played around it. Arshdeep pitched it full and swung into Babar who tried to work it on the leg side square instead of trying to meet it with the front of the bat and missed the ball completely; it hit him on his front pad, and no sooner had Arshdeep, the Indian team and the gazillion fans in the stadium went up for an appeal than the umpire raised his finger.

Babar Azam had a small chat with Rizwan and went for the review, but it was more in hope than optimism as the Hawk-Eye showed three reds. The kingpin of the Pakistani team was down. And it only took Arshdeep his first ball in T20 World Cup.

You can watch the video of Arshdeep’s beautiful yet menacing ball to dismiss Babar Azam here:

Arshdeep continued to show his brilliance with the new ball and also bounced out Rizwan, caught at fine leg. At the other end, Bhuvneshwar also kept things tight. At the end of the powerplay, Pakistan are 32/2.