Matches that turned heads in 2022: India’s T20 WC win vs Pakistan, Bangladesh’s Test heist in New Zealand and many more

The year 2022 was a witness to some thrilling encounters that kept the audience glued to their televisions.

It was when the T20 World Cup took place in Australia and the 2021-23 World Test Championship also carried on. A number of matches twisted and turned way too many times.

However, out of them, a few turned out to be absolute nail-biters and some of them created new records. The year is about to end, but the matches will be remembered for quite some time by the fans of the sport.

Let’s take a look at a few matches in 2022 that turned heads:

Bangladesh record maiden win against New Zealand in Tests
Bangladesh started the year with their maiden Test win against New Zealand. Against all the odds, the Tigers won the match by 8 wickets. Ebadot Hossain’s six-wicket haul made sure that the visiting team got only a target of 40 runs to chase down in Mount Maunganui.

Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, then skipper Mominul Haque Showrabh and Litton Das laid the platform for Bangladesh with half-centuries. Devon Conway’s 122 in the first innings couldn’t pay dividends for New Zealand.

India pulls off a massive heist against Pakistan
It was Virat Kohli’s day in the T20 World Cup 2022 and the former Indian skipper showed what he is made of. The sixes he hit off fast bowler Haris Rauf in the penultimate over of the run-chase at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) wouldn’t be forgotten, not in a jiffy.

Kohli stayed unbeaten on 82 and made sure that India scored 48 off their last three overs and got past the finish line. With India needing 16 runs in the last over, Kohli played smart cricket as his team won off the last ball in the high-voltage clash.

Cool-as-a-cucumber Mehidy Hasan defies odds against India

When Mehidy Hasan came to bat, Bangladesh needed 51 runs with one wicket in hand. The task was an improbable one, but instead of succumbing to pressure, he held his nerve. He stayed unbeaten on 38 runs off 39 balls as Bangladesh won with four wickets in hand.

Mehidy’s knock also made sure that Shakib Al Hasan’s knock earlier that day didn’t go in vain. Not to forget that it was Mehidy who gave Bangladesh their first wicket in the form of Shikhar Dhawan. Bangladesh took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series courtesy of Mehidy’s brilliance.

Dasun Shanaka destroys Australia in Pallekele
Sri Lanka needed 58 runs to win off their last 17 balls and Australia were cruising to victory in Pallekele. Dasun Shanaka had other ideas. The Sri Lankan skipper smashed Josh Hazlewood for 22 runs and the third T20I started turning from there on.

Shanaka went on to bag the Player of the Match award after being unbeaten on 54 off 25. In his last 13 balls, the right-hander clobbered 48 runs to take his team home. Shanaka took on Kane Richardson, hit him for 19 runs and took his team home.

India’s thrilling Test triumph against Bangladesh in Mirpur

India needed 100 runs to win on Day 4 with six wickets in hand against Bangladesh. Making this worse was Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who picked up his ninth five-wicket haul in Tests. The writing seemed to be on the wall for the Indians, but Ravi Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer didn’t give up the ghost.

Iyer and Ashwin put on 71 runs for the eighth wicket to take India to a three-wicket win. Bangladesh had the chance of beating India for the first time in Tests, but that wasn’t the case. The game also made sure that India made amends after losing the three-match ODI series 1-2.

Zimbabwe take down Pakistan from nowhere in T20 WC

Zimbabwe pulled off a major heist when they defeated Pakistan by 1 run in a Super 12 match of the T20 World Cup. Pakistan failed to chase down 131. Mohammad Wasim Jr. bowled brilliantly and helped the Men in Green bowl their opponent out for 130.

Pakistan needed 11 runs off the last over, after which they needed four off the last four balls. Shaheen Shah Afridi failed to complete two runs and Pakistan fell way short. Fast bowler Brad Evans fell way short in the final over to take his team past the finish line.

When India lost in Nottingham, but Suryakumar came out on top

Back in July, England beat India by 17 runs, but there was far more to the game than the ultimate result. Suryakumar Yadav almost pulled a rabbit out of the hat against all the odds. He scored 117 runs off 55 balls with 14 fours and six sixes, taking India ever so close to victory.

In the end, his knock wasn’t enough for India to chase down 217. Although it was Reece Topley, who won the Player of the Match award for his three-wicket haul, Suryakumar hogged the limelight for his knock. Yadav took charge after India were reduced to 31 for three in five overs.