RSWS 2022, 1st Semifinal Review: Naman Ojha, Irfan Pathan seize the day to take India Legends to final of tournament

Just when the going got tough in the middle, Irfan Pathan came to bat and smashed the Aussie bowlers all across the park to help India Legends qualify for the finals of the Road Safety World Series for the second time in a row. However, it was Naman Ojha, who was absolutely fantastic in the first semi-final as he smashed 90* off just 62 deliveries in order to chase 172 down. In the end, the Men in Blue managed to win the match with five wickets in hand.

With this fantastic win, the Indian team managed to qualify for the grand finale, which will be played at Raipur on the 1st of October. The winner of the second semi-final between Sri Lanka Legends and West Indies Legends will determine the other finalist of the competition.

Coming to the match, Shane Watson-led side put 171 on board after 20 overs. Ben Dunk played a sensational knock of 46 off just 26 deliveries but a fantastic catch from Suresh Raina in the point region sent him back to the dressing room. Cameron White’s cameo of 30 in 18 balls was also highly appreciated but in the end, it all went in vain. 

Batting second, the Indian team was under pressure as they lost the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar pretty early and no other batter showed intent in the middle. Naman Ojha was the one-man army for the Indian team and later Irfan Pathan’s heroics helped India win a memorable game at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.

Naman Ojha moves fourth in the list of most runs in the season

The wicket-keeper batter struggled in the middle for the majority part of the season but against Australia, in the first semi-final, he was at his absolute best and proved why the team management decided to back him. With 158 runs in his bag, the former India international became the fourth leading run-scorer of the season and the leading run-scorer for India in the tournament.

Based on his brilliant performance, the 39-year-old was also adjudged as the Man of the Match. In the post-match conference, the opener thanked his captain Sachin Tendulkar for backing him throughout.