India achieves historic victory over Pakistan in the final of the first ICC World Twenty20

There are matches in cricket whose tension lasts until the very last ball. One such moment occurred 40 years ago, on September 22, 1986, when the second Test match of the series between India and Australia, held in Chennai (then Madras), ended in a draw, and the drama of the final days is still vivid in the memories of cricket fans.

Australia took the initiative first by winning the toss and secured a substantial victory in the first innings, scoring 574/7 runs. Among the Australian players, David Boon stood out with 122 runs, Dean Jones with 210 runs, and Allan Border with 106 runs. In response, the Indian team managed to score only 397 runs in the first innings. The best player for India in this innings was Kapil Dev, who scored 119 runs. Additionally, Mohammad Azharuddin (50 runs) and Krishnamachari Srikkanth (53 runs) reached half-centuries.

In the second innings, Australian captain Allan Border declared the innings closed, adding another 170 runs, setting a target of 348 runs for India. India needed to reach this target in 87 overs.

Initially, the Indian team pursued the target confidently. At tea, India's score was 190 runs for the loss of two batsmen. After that, the team approached victory. India lost 6 batsmen at a score of 330 runs, and only 18 runs were needed for victory.

At that moment, it seemed that India would easily win. However, Australian bowler Ray Bright drastically changed the course of the match. In the next over, Bright dismissed two batsmen, and suddenly the possibility of all possible outcomes arose: victory, defeat, a draw, or a tie.

After this, Shivlal Yadav helped India get closer to victory by hitting a powerful six off Greg Matthews' bowling. But Bright got him out. India's score reached 344/9. Only 4 runs remained, and there were 8 overs left.

Ravi Shastri and Maninder Singh were on the field. Maninder Singh was the last batsman in India's batting order. He faced Bright's over, and the right to bat passed to Ravi Shastri in the final over.

India needed 4 runs to win. Ravi Shastri scored 2 runs off the second delivery of the final over. Then, on the third delivery, he scored one run and passed the strike to Maninder Singh. With this single run, the possibility of India losing disappeared, but 3 more runs were still needed for victory. Greg Matthews was bowling, and Maninder Singh was on strike. Matthews had three deliveries to finish the match.

Matthews dismissed Maninder Singh. Matthews got him out LBW on the penultimate delivery of the match. India's hope of victory faded, and the match ended in a draw. In the second innings, the Indian team showed better play, with Sunil Gavaskar scoring the most runs—90.

Players from both teams were awarded 'Player of the Match' awards. Kapil Dev received this award for scoring 119 runs for India, while Dean Jones from the Australian team received it for his double century in the match.

Thus, in the history of Test cricket, a match was recorded where the scores of both teams were absolutely equal. This thrilling finale in Chennai is still considered one of the most memorable moments in cricket.

The composition of the Women's Asia Cup 2026 final has been determined. The final match between the teams of India and Sri Lanka will take place on Sunday, September 13, at the International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. Prior to this, in the semi-final held on Friday, September 11, Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 4 wickets, thereby earning the right to participate in the title match.

Previously, both teams met in a final where Sri Lanka managed to beat India and win the Asia Cup title for the first time.

In the semi-final against Pakistan, Sri Lanka was set a target of 131 runs. The start of the game was extremely unsuccessful for Sri Lanka, which lost four batsmen, scoring only 33 runs in the first 6.2 overs. The situation was saved by Harshita Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari, who built an important partnership of 67 runs for the fifth wicket.

Harshita Samarawickrama contributed to the game by scoring 36 runs off 31 balls, including two fours. Kavisha Dilhari added another 33 runs off 33 balls, using four fours. However, Pakistan's captain, Fatima Sana, managed to dismiss Harshita Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari in one over, once again putting Sri Lanka under pressure. At that time, the team's score was 109/6, and they needed to score 22 runs in the last three overs.

At the decisive moment, Nilashka Silva (not out, 18 runs) and Kaushani Nuthangana (not out, 10 runs) brought the team to the target, leaving 8 balls. Despite Fatima taking four wickets in bowling, her team failed to capitalize on this advantage, and Sri Lanka won the match despite the pressure.

Earlier, when Pakistan came out to bat after losing the toss, the situation was also difficult. In 10 overs, their score was 52/4. After this, captain Fatima Sana took charge, scoring 47 runs off 36 balls not out. During this innings, Fatima hit four fours and two sixes. Thanks to her performance, the Pakistani team managed to reach a score of 130 runs while losing five batsmen.

The clash between India and Sri Lanka in the final will recall the events of the 2024 title match. In that previous edition, Sri Lanka defeated India by 8 wickets, winning the Women's Asia Cup title for the first time. Nevertheless, the Indian team is currently in excellent form, having reached the final by winning four consecutive matches. India finished first in the group stage, winning all three matches, and defeated Bangladesh in the semi-final by 40 runs. Team Harmanpreet Kaur aims to win the eighth Women's Asia Cup title by defeating Sri Lanka. For her part, Sri Lanka intends to defend its title.

The Indian team continues to demonstrate impressive play at the 2026 Women's U-17 Asian Championship. In the quarter-final held in Moji, China, on Thursday (September 10), the Indian squad secured a convincing victory over their long-time rival Pakistan with a score of 19-0.

Pooja Malik scored the most goals in the match with three goals (in the 27th, 49th, and 51st minutes). Other players also contributed: Chandrakant Sanika Mane scored twice (in the 13th and 23rd minutes), Madhu Sidar (in the 16th and 39th minutes), Supriya (in the 40th and 54th minutes), and End Roshni (in the 9th and 60th minutes).

Additionally, Pooja Sahu (in the 7th minute), Dinesh Tunshri Kadu (in the 11th minute), Sukhvir Kaur (in the 13th minute), Gita Yadav (in the 18th minute), Tanuja Toppo (in the 25th minute), Purnima Yadav (in the 33rd minute), Krishna Sharma (in the 48th minute), and Bimina Dhan (in the 55th minute) each scored one goal.

In the semi-finals, India will face the winner of the fourth quarter-final between Malaysia and Korea. These semi-final matches are scheduled for September 12.

During this match, India's dominance was absolute, while the Pakistani athletes were unable to offer any resistance. In the first two quarters, India scored 10 goals, allowing them to go into halftime with a 10-0 lead. In the third quarter, Pakistan managed to ease the pressure slightly, but India only scored three goals. The final quarter was even more prolific for India, as the team netted six goals. Of these seven goals scored from penalties, seven were converted from corners, and two from free kicks. India scored the remaining 11 goals through open play.

India and China finished the elite pool stage with an equal number of points—10 points. However, due to a better goal difference, India ranked first in the elite pool. The Indian team won against Japan, Korea, and Malaysia, while the match against China ended in a draw. As for the Pakistan team, they earned seven points after playing four matches in the challenger pool, finishing in third place. In the challenger pool, Bangladesh took first place, and Kazakhstan took second.

This tournament is the tenth edition of the Women's U-17 Asian Championship. The Indian squad is the reigning champion. In 2024, at the competition held in Muscat, India won the title for the second consecutive time, defeating China. South Korea is the most successful team in this tournament, having won it four times (in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2008). China has also achieved success, winning the title three times (in 2004, 2012, and 2015).