Nicholas Pooran continues his impeccable form, Carlos Brathwaite’s all-round efforts get Chennai Braves on the board
Aadam Patel26-Nov-2022After eight games in season 6 of Abu Dhabi T10, no side is yet to chase down a target but Friday night saw the first tie of this year’s tournament.It was Tim David’s night on Thursday for Delhi Bulls, and it was very nearly his team-mate Imad Wasim’s night on Friday against Team Abu Dhabi.Related
Tim David puts on power-hitting masterclass on Abu Dhabi T10 debut
West Indians Pooran, Lewis, Pollard sizzle on Abu Dhabi T10's opening night
Pollard, Pooran, Shakib, Russell headline star-studded Abu Dhabi T10
Set a target of 121, Bulls tied the match thanks to a late cameo from Imad who smashed 21 runs off 9 balls to ensure his side’s unbeaten record stayed alive.The dismissal of Jordan Cox by Andrew Tye signalled the arrival of Imad with 41 still needed off 16 for Bulls to win. He smashed Tye for a four and six at the end of the eighth over and when Keemo Paul launched Amad Butt for two maximums at the start of the ninth over, the equation came down to 17 off 10 and the Bulls were in the driving seat. Butt pulled it back a touch and with 13 required off the last over, Imad and skipper Dwayne Bravo could only manage 12 off the bowling of Naveen-ul-Haq.Bulls needed three off the final ball and Imad hit it straight down the ground. It hit the stumps at the other end and went to long-on.After winning the toss, an unbeaten third-wicket 101-run stand between James Vince (26* off 20) and Brandon King (64* off 27) had earlier helped Abu Dhabi post 120 for 2, but the difference in complexion of the Bulls innings showcased the advancing nature of the shorter formats of the game.It is as much about strike rates as it is about average in T10 cricket and though no batter scored more than 21 for Bulls, no dismissed batter scored less than 16 and the rapid nature of all those knocks meant that Bulls were always in the game.This is a format where strike rates are everything and Tom Banton (19 off 10), Rilee Rossouw (18 off 9), Cox (18 off 12), David (20 off 12) and Paul (16 off 7) all made small but important contributions.And post-match, Imad emphasised the need for Pakistan and other teams to approach the game with less fear about their wicket. “How teams like England play white-ball cricket, they’ve won both World Cups and we should learn from how they play. Our bowling line-up is one of the best in the world but our batting approach is a bit timid.”There’s no need to change the personnel,” Imad added, “But the intensity is what we should look at and seek to play fearless cricket. It’s more a question of intent and freedom. We need to go out there and enjoy the game. It’s all about the mindset. A group of us seniors have got to come together and make the teams play in a way that even if they fail 60 percent of the time, that 40 percent of the time they are successful, they can take it on from there.”I know our media bashes us if we lose a series playing in a different way but a lot of the Asian teams play in a safe way and we only have to look at teams like England and Australia.”Imad’s last game for Pakistan was the T20 World Cup semi-final in Dubai last year and he wants to add to the 55 ODI and 58 T20I caps he has for his country but isn’t letting that dictate the way he lives his life.”The opportunity is still there for me,” Imad said. “I just need to play well so I’ll keep on doing that. Yes, playing for your country is a big thing but if I don’t get selected, it’s not the end of the world.”In the first game of Friday’s triple-header, Nicholas Pooran carried on from his unbeaten 77 on the opening night and hit 80 off 32 deliveries to catapult Deccan Gladiators to 138 for 3 – the highest score of the tournament so far. Despite a half-century from Adam Lyth, Northern Warriors struggled to get close and finished 24 runs short. Rovman Powell’s side remains without a win after two games.But Chennai Braves got on the board with a win over Bangla Tigers. Carlos Brathwaite’s 44* off 19 balls saw them post 126 for 6 and with the ball, the West Indian picked up two wickets in two deliveries in his first over. He returned in the last over to pick up two more and finish with figures of 4 for 3 as Tigers stuttered to 93 and their second defeat in as many nights.