T20 World Cup 2022: "Pitched on a trampoline according to DRS" - Twitter baffled with ball tracking after lbw call goes in favor of Babar Azam in 1st semi-final

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam survived what looked like a close lbw shout in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022 against New Zealand in Sydney on Wednesday, November 9. Having been adjudged not out in the seventh over of the chase, ball tracking vindicated the on-field call soon after with the Blackcaps sending it upstairs.

Mitchell Santner's last ball of the over saw Babar pinged on the knee roll by an arm ball. While it looked close to the naked eye, the referral from Kane Williamson went against his side as they lost the review with ball tracking indicating that it would have gone on top of the stumps.

The technology was questioned by fans on Twitter, who reckoned that the two-paced nature of the track at the Sydney Cricket Ground meant that it couldn't have bounced as high as it did. Some cheekily drew comparisons to the bounce at Perth and were baffled over how it went over the stumps.

Babar, Rizwan put Pakistan on course for a spot in the T20 World Cup final

Pakistan could do no wrong despite losing the toss and being asked to field first by New Zealand skipper Williamson in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup. The Babar-led side did a good job of restricting the Kiwis to 152/4. Daryl Mitchell top-scored for New Zealand with an unbeaten 53 off 35 deliveries while Williamson scored 46 off 42.

In response, the opening duo of Babar and Mohammad Rizwan came out all guns blazing in the powerplay. An ordinary display of bowling by the Kiwis aside, the duo racked up 55 in the first six overs to all but bury the chase. Both batters got to their respective half-centuries and raised an opening partnership of 105 before the skipper holed out to Mitchell at long-on.

At the time of writing, Pakistan are 127/1 in 16 overs, needing just 26 to win off the last four overs. Mohammad Haris is currently partnering Rizwan in the middle.

Should they make the final, will Pakistan go on to win the T20 World Cup? Let us know in the comments section below!

About the author

Sooryanarayanan started off as a non-contracted text commentator at Sportskeeda 3 years ago and is today, the Cricket Commentary Manager. An MBA degree holder, a burning passion for the sport eventually led him to take it up professionally. He also writes insightful Feature pieces from time to time.

Sooryanarayanan sees cricket as a reflection of life’s ebbs and flows, and believes that the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy perfectly showcased it via the determination, courage and the never-give-up attitude displayed on field. He is a staunch Team India supporter and believes that the team has a very bright future. He admires MS Dhoni for how he approaches the sport and life as they come, being unfazed by both victory and defeat.

Sooryanarayanan tries to stick to facts and relies heavily on numerical data to present them. Keeping an objective and neutral view is one of his biggest reporting strengths, along with conducting thorough research and verifying all facts. His exploits in his field have led him to interview some star cricketers like Rovman Powell, Chamari Athapaththu, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris, Peter Hatzoglou, and more.

When not immersed in Cricket, Sooryanarayanan loves to watch movies and web series, which helps him to focus better when he’s back to work.

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