‘It says: “Pakistan will cruise to 100, then lose two quick wickets.” Hold on to yourself. This is where we get an answer whether this thing is accurate or not. There can be no quibbling about “two quick wickets”.' The next over is to be bowled by Yuvraj Singh. Younis takes a single from the first ball. Cherrene and I breathe a sigh of relief. So too after the second, third and fourth balls of the over, which are negotiated without alarm.
‘I reckon if they score 20 runs before a wicket falls we can forget about the script,' I say. ‘Hope so,' Cherrene replies as Yuvraj trundles in for the fifth ball. Our collective breath is held again as the ball is released. Shafiq steps away from his stumps, trying to direct the ball towards third man. He misses and it knocks his middle stump out of the ground.
‘Bowled him! Yuvi! Yuvi! Yuvi!' shouts commentator Mark Nicholas. ‘Another magical breakthrough,' says Rameez Raja. ‘Uh oh,' says Cherrene. ‘One more,' I say, ‘And we might have a fix.'
"Ten balls later it is Yuvraj again who, with more of a spring in his stride, jumps into his elegant, high left-arm action. The ball is full and tempting to drive. Younis Khan is tempted. He throws his hands at the ball but as he does so his right leg, his back leg, flies from under him, as if tethered by a rope which someone has suddenly decided to tug sharply. He is off balance, now reaching, trying to right himself in the shot. The ball hits high on the bat and is miscued horribly, up in the air, straight into the hands of mid-off. Pakistan are 106 for four. They have added six runs. They have lost two wickets in 10 balls. A swift demise. Rapid. Quick.
‘Well, that was depressingly predictable,' I say. ‘This is just dreadful, dreadful, dreadful,' Cherrene says. An email from Geoffrey Riddle arrives. ‘Amazing info!' Another contact telephones me. He says he can't believe what he is seeing. ‘It's like I'm watching a replay, knowing the fall of the wickets and the result.'
"Cherrene has gone very quiet. It is a blessed relief that we have a relative hiatus until the next action, according to whoever the director of this game is, takes place. I try to reassure Cherrene that it still could all prove to be wrong.
"Pakistan are only four wickets down and could comfortably recover to win the match and book a final spot in Mumbai. At the end of the 27th over they are 112 for four. Umar Akmal and Misbah-ul-Haq are the batsmen. The script tells us that we cannot expect more than two wickets until Pakistan have reached 150. The tension has dissipated now. The dread that we felt earlier about this fearsome tale coming true has been replaced by a disheartening acceptance. Cherrene and I sit glum-faced as we watch the pictures from Mohali, a doom-laden contrast with the supporters in the stadium who wave flags and leap and shout as a contest which is unique in its standing in the cricket world unfolds. Unique to us for a different reason.
"It is in a daze, rather, that we watch the match continue, as if waiting to be awoken again by an alarm bell as Pakistan approach 150. Umar Akmal and Misbah-ul-Haq are rebuilding Pakistan's innings and, with each over they survive, keeping the wickets column showing four and with each run they move closer to 150, we become more alert.
