Pakistan defeated New Zealand by 7 wickets on Wednesday and made their way to a World Cup final after 13 years. After the collective batting might of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan helped the Men in Green to an historic triumph, fans serenaded the players with the song “Dil Dil Pakistan, jaan jaan Pakistan” from the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground stands.
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The popular song which was crooned by singer Junaid Jamshed is often said to be the Pakistan’s unofficial second national anthem so it was no surprise to hear the it reverberating throughout the stadium after the victory.
After a string of unconvincing performances in the initial stage of the tournament, the Pakistan team were on the brink of elimination but managed to pick up their tempo in the the business end when they defeated South Africa and Bangladesh to scrape through to the semifinals. On Wednesday, they lifted their game again when it mattered the most and stormed into the T20 World Cup final with a convincing victory over New Zealand.
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— Hasan Zaidi (@hyzaidi) November 9, 2022
Pakistan first restricted New Zealand to 152 for four on a slow SCG track and then chased down the target with consummate ease, riding on skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s attacking fifties to book their place in the final after 13 years.
This will be Pakistan’s third appearance in the T20 World Cup final. They had finished runners-up to India in the inaugural edition in 2007 before claiming the title two years later.
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The win over New Zealand, last edition’s runners-up side, also kept the prospect of a mouth-watering India-Pakistan final in Melbourne on Sunday alive, provided Rohit Sharma’s men beat England in the second semifinal in Adelaide on Thursday.
(With PTI inputs)
