There was no bigger stage in world cricket than the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the day of an India-Pakistan World Cup Final.
More than ninety-five thousand people filled the stands. Indian and Pakistani flags moved across the crowd, while the noise carried across the ground and into the dressing rooms.
The rivalry had reached its final contest. Everything came down to twenty-two yards in the middle.
Inside the Indian dressing room, there was silence.
Siddanth Deva stood near his locker in the India jersey. He strapped on his spikes, tightened the laces, took a breath, and looked around the squad.
Virat Kohli sat on a bench, taping the handle of his bat. Rohit Sharma went through shadow-batting, working on his cover drives. Arshdeep Singh completed his warm-up with the physiotherapist.
Deva picked up his blue cap.
He walked past Kohli and caught his eye.
Deva nodded.
Kohli nodded back.
It was time.
---
The two captains walked onto the field for the toss.
Siddanth Deva stood beside Babar Azam at the center of the pitch. Deva bent down and pressed his thumb into the surface.
There was a good covering of grass.
He looked at the sky.
Cloud cover remained across Melbourne.
He then looked towards the square boundaries.
The MCG was large, so back-of-a-length bowling and forcing batters to hit square would be important.
Match referee Ranjan Madugalle stood between the captains with the tournament coin.
"Whenever you're ready, Babar."
Madugalle flipped the coin.
"Heads," Babar called.
The coin landed.
"It is tails," Madugalle announced.
"Siddanth, you've won the toss in the World Cup Final. What is the call?"
"We are going to field first."
A roar went up from the Indian supporters.
"Fielding first in a World Cup Final. What is the reading of the pitch?"
"There is a good covering of grass," Deva said. "The overcast conditions should help the seamers with the new ball. We have a strong fast-bowling unit, so we want to use those conditions early. We want to restrict Pakistan, know the target, and then back our batting to chase it."
"And the playing XI?"
"We are unchanged. We trust this combination."
Babar was asked what Pakistan would have chosen.
"We would have batted first. In a final, you want runs on the board and scoreboard pressure. We will look to post a strong total and then defend it with our bowling attack."
The commentary team began the broadcast.
Ian Smith said, "Siddanth Deva has won the toss and chosen to bowl. He wants his fast bowlers with the new ball."
Nasser Hussain studied the pitch.
"The surface has some grass, and the cloud cover should help Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh. Pakistan need Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to get through the first six overs. India will want early wickets."
The umpires, Marais Erasmus and Richard Kettleborough, walked out.
The Indian fielding unit followed.
Deva spoke briefly to the players before they moved into position.
Pakistan's openers, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, walked out.
Rizwan took guard.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the new ball from the Members' End.
"First ball of the World Cup Final," Harsha Bhogle said. "Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammad Rizwan."
Bhuvneshwar ran in.
He bowled a good-length delivery outside off stump with the seam upright.
The ball pitched and moved away late.
Rizwan played inside the line and was beaten.
"Good start from Bhuvneshwar. That ball moved away late."
The second ball was fuller.
Rizwan pushed to mid-off.
No run.
The third ball was slightly shorter.
Rizwan worked it towards point and took a quick single.
Babar came on strike.
Bhuvneshwar attacked the stumps.
The ball went slightly across Babar, who clipped it behind square for one.
Bhuvneshwar beat Rizwan's outside edge again with the final ball.
The first over cost two runs.
Arshdeep Singh took the ball from the Great Southern Stand end.
He angled the first delivery across Babar.
The ball pitched and jagged back in.
Babar was beaten.
"Good delivery from Arshdeep. Movement back into Babar."
Arshdeep followed with two dot balls.
Babar struggled to find the gaps.
He eventually guided one towards third man for a single.
Rizwan faced the final two balls.
He backed away to create room.
Arshdeep followed him and bowled a yorker.
Rizwan got his bat down in time.
After two overs, Pakistan were 4 for 0.
Over the next two overs, Bhuvneshwar and Arshdeep kept the batters tied down.
The fielders covered the singles and the bowlers continued to attack the off-stump channel.
In the fourth over, Arshdeep noticed Rizwan moving early.
Rizwan came down the pitch, looking to hit over deep mid-wicket.
Arshdeep adjusted his length and bowled a slower delivery.
Rizwan committed to the shot.
The ball dipped, took the bottom edge, and went towards short fine leg.
Mohammed Shami was stationed there.
He settled under the ball and took the catch.
"CAUGHT! BREAKTHROUGH FOR INDIA!" Harsha Bhogle said. "Arshdeep Singh gets Rizwan. Pakistan tried to force the scoring, but India have the first wicket."
Rizwan walked off.
Pakistan were 15 for 1.
Shan Masood came in at number three.
Deva changed the field.
Fine leg came into the circle and square leg went deeper.
The plan was to make Pakistan hit towards the longer square boundaries.
Shami came into the attack in the sixth over and attacked the pitch.
At the end of the powerplay, Pakistan were 32 for 1.
They had not hit a six.
Ravichandran Ashwin was introduced.
Ashwin bowled with flight and drift, bringing the batters forward and making them play.
Masood defended the first delivery.
The next was quicker and closer to him.
From the other end, Hardik Pandya came on.
Deva used Hardik's pace and length to attack the middle order.
Hardik bowled short of a length.
The ball climbed.
Babar tried the pull but hit it off the splice towards mid-wicket.
Nasser Hussain said, "India are controlling the scoring. Ashwin is using flight and Hardik is attacking with the short ball and back-of-a-length line."
Babar reached 32 from 34 balls.
He had not found a boundary for twenty deliveries.
In the eleventh over, Ashwin bowled several deliveries outside off, inviting Babar to drive towards cover.
A deep cover fielder was positioned for the shot.
On the fourth delivery, Ashwin bowled quicker and closer to Babar.
Babar tried to cut despite being cramped for room.
The ball hurried onto him, took the top edge, and went straight up.
Ashwin moved down the pitch and took the return catch.
"Ashwin strikes! Babar Azam is out. He was tied down for much of the innings, and Ashwin finishes the over with the wicket."
Babar was out for 32.
Pakistan were 68 for 2.
Iftikhar Ahmed came in.
He looked to attack Hardik but missed a length delivery.
Two overs later, Shami bowled a short delivery.
Iftikhar tried to fend it away.
The ball took the glove and went through to Sanju Samson.
"Shami gets Iftikhar. Good short-ball bowling."
Shadab Khan came in and looked to attack Hardik.
Hardik bowled short and wide.
Shadab tried to hit over deep point.
The ball went high towards the boundary.
Suryakumar Yadav moved across and took the catch close to the rope.
"What a catch in the deep. SKY gets there and holds on."
Pakistan were 98 for 5 with five overs remaining.
India returned to Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Shami.
They attacked the stumps with yorkers.
When the batters stayed back, the bowlers used the short ball.
In the eighteenth over, Arshdeep bowled five yorkers to Mohammad Nawaz and conceded three runs.
In the nineteenth over, Shami bowled an inswinging yorker and hit Wasim Jr's off stump.
On the final ball, Haris Rauf moved towards the leg side.
Arshdeep followed him with a wide yorker.
Rauf missed.
The innings ended.
PAKISTAN: 137/8
OVERS: 20.0
India walked off with a target of 138.
Nasser Hussain said during the interval:
"India have used the conditions well. Bhuvneshwar and Arshdeep made the most of the new ball, Ashwin and Hardik controlled the middle overs, and the death bowling has kept Pakistan to 137. But Pakistan have a strong pace attack. Shaheen Afridi could make the chase difficult."
India needed 138 runs from 120 balls.
Sanju Samson and Rohit Sharma walked out to open.
Pakistan gathered for a final fielding discussion.
Shaheen Shah Afridi took the new ball.
Rohit took guard.
Shaheen pitched the first ball full and looked for swing.
The ball started around middle stump and moved away.
Rohit pushed at it and was beaten.
"Good delivery from Shaheen. Late movement and Rohit is beaten."
Shaheen continued in the same channel.
Rohit got a bat to one and pushed it to mid-off.
Sanju defended the final ball.
India scored one run from the first over.
Naseem Shah took the ball from the other end.
He attacked the pitch with short-of-a-length bowling.
Rohit defended.
On the fourth ball, Naseem bowled into Rohit's hip.
Rohit attempted the pull.
The pace and bounce beat him, and the ball hit his thigh pad.
Leg bye.
After two overs, India were 4 for 0.
Shaheen returned for the third over.
He had bowled away swing earlier.
Now he brought the ball back into Rohit.
Shaheen bowled on middle stump.
Rohit expected the ball to move away.
Instead, it pitched and came back into him.
Rohit's front foot stayed in the crease.
He brought the bat down late.
The ball beat the inside edge and hit the front pad.
Pakistan appealed.
Marais Erasmus raised his finger.
LBW.
"Shaheen Afridi gets Rohit Sharma," Nasser Hussain said. "He used the away swing earlier and brought the next one back in. Rohit is out."
Rohit walked back.
India were 5 for 1.
Virat Kohli walked in.
He tapped gloves with Sanju.
"The ball is moving, Sanju," Kohli said. "Shaheen is attacking the stumps and Naseem is getting bounce. We have to play the good balls and rotate the strike."
"I've got it, Virat bhai. I'll watch the movement. Let's keep the scoreboard moving."
Kohli took guard.
Shaheen bowled full.
Kohli leaned forward and pushed towards mid-on.
He took a single.
The next twelve overs were built around strike rotation and boundary options.
Naseem bowled short to Sanju.
Sanju picked the length early, moved onto the back foot, and pulled through the gap between deep square leg and deep mid-wicket.
Four runs.
Ian Smith said, "Sanju picked the length early and played the pull well."
Kohli settled into the anchor role.
He used soft hands, worked singles into gaps, and converted some singles into twos.
In the ninth over, Haris Rauf bowled full and wide.
Kohli moved forward and drove through cover.
Four.
The boundary brought up the fifty partnership.
Pakistan brought Shadab Khan into the attack.
Sanju looked to attack the leg-spinner.
Shadab tossed one up.
Sanju stepped down the pitch, made room, and lofted the ball inside-out over extra cover.
Four.
India remained ahead of the required rate.
The partnership passed fifty.
Then eighty.
Pakistan needed a wicket.
In the fifteenth over, Babar brought Rauf back.
India were 105 for 1.
Rauf bowled back of a length with a slower delivery.
Kohli tried to punch through the off side.
The ball held in the pitch.
Kohli was not fully to the delivery and pushed at it.
The ball took the outside edge towards point.
Shadab moved across and held the catch.
"CAUGHT! VIRAT KOHLI IS OUT!" Harsha Bhogle said. "Rauf gets Kohli, and Shadab holds the catch."
Kohli walked off.
India were:
105/2
33 runs needed from 30 balls.
The stadium announcer called:
"Incoming batsman... the captain, Siddanth Deva."
Deva walked to the middle.
Babar had adjusted the field.
Deva tapped gloves with Sanju, who was batting on 65.
"You've built the chase well, Sanju," Deva said. "Your footwork has been good against the spin."
"Thanks, skip. Rauf is getting some grip with the cutters."
"Then we play the good balls, take the singles, and finish the chase."
Deva took guard.
Rauf bowled full at around 145 kph.
Deva waited for the ball and opened the bat face, guiding it towards third man.
They ran two.
Naseem returned.
He bowled short.
Deva got on top of the bounce and punched through cover for one.
Deva continued to rotate the strike.
He avoided unnecessary aerial shots and gave Sanju access to more deliveries.
Sanju continued to score with cuts, pulls, and drives.
India needed:
20 runs.
Then:
15.
Then:
10.
The Indian players gathered near the boundary.
India entered the nineteenth over needing six runs.
Sanju Samson was on strike on 72.
Haris Rauf took the ball.
Ball 1
Rauf bowled on off stump.
Sanju played to mid-on and took one.
India needed 5.
Ball 2
Deva faced.
Rauf bowled an off-cutter.
Deva waited and clipped the ball towards deep mid-wicket.
They ran two.
India needed 3.
Ball 3
Rauf bowled a yorker.
Deva brought the bat down and defended it back towards the bowler.
No run.
Ball 4
Rauf missed the yorker and bowled a low full toss on the pads.
Deva flicked through square leg.
They ran two.
India needed 1.
Eight balls remained.
Deva was on strike for the fifth ball.
Babar spoke to Rauf.
Most of the field came into the circle to prevent the single.
There were open spaces in the deep.
Rauf ran in.
He bowled back of a length on middle stump.
Deva read the length early.
He could have hit over the infield.
Instead, he defended.
He dropped his wrists and played the ball into the pitch at his feet.
No run.
Dot ball.
The crowd reacted.
Harsha Bhogle said:
"He has defended it! Deva had the option to attack the infield, but he has chosen to defend and leave Sanju Samson another opportunity to finish the chase. It recalls Dhaka 2014, when MS Dhoni defended with one run needed and gave Virat Kohli the strike."
The camera showed Kohli in the dugout.
He smiled.
Rauf returned for the final ball.
He came around the wicket and bowled a wide yorker.
Deva moved across and guided it to point.
No run.
The over ended.
India still needed one run.
Deva walked towards Sanju.
"You built this chase," Deva said. "You have earned the chance to finish it."
He pointed towards the bowler.
"Finish it."
Sanju nodded.
"Thanks, Sid bhai."
Deva returned to the non-striker's end.
The twentieth over began.
India needed one run to win the World Cup.
Naseem Shah took the ball.
Sanju Samson took guard.
Naseem ran in.
He aimed for the middle stump with a yorker.
But he missed the yorker length and bowled full.
Sanju stepped out of his crease.
He reached the pitch of the ball and drove through the line.
The ball came from the middle of the bat and went over the bowler.
It cleared mid-off and reached the stands.
SIX.
Ian Smith shouted:
"HE'S DONE IT! SANJU SAMSON FINISHES THE WORLD CUP FINAL! INDIA ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD!"
The Indian players ran onto the field.
Virat Kohli reached Sanju first and embraced him.
At the non-striker's end, Deva dropped his bat and raised his arms.
Rohit Sharma reached Deva and hugged him.
The rest of the squad ran onto the pitch.
Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Ravichandran Ashwin joined the celebration.
Arshdeep hugged Bhuvneshwar.
Kohli turned towards the Indian supporters and raised his arm.
Deva stepped away from the group and looked across the field.
Sanju stood with his bat raised.
Deva walked over, embraced him, and lifted him off the ground.
India had won the World Cup.
Sanju Samson had finished the chase with a six.
Siddanth Deva had chosen to defend the ball with one run required and left the winning shot to Sanju.
The World Cup was India's.