Top 5 nail-biting cricket matches played in 2022

The year 2022 gave fans plenty of high-octane cricketing action to savor. From classic blockbuster encounters to unfancied teams defying the odds to script famous wins, 2022 was packed with memorable moments that are sure to make the highlight reels in the years to come.

With so many bilateral series and the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia, the level of cricket was redefined with some highly compelling displays. Teams like Ireland and Zimbabwe surprised the big boys with their cricket and announced themselves as the new 'giant killers'.

Some of the highlights of the year included Suryakumar Yadav's extraordinary rise to the summit of the T20I rankings, England's revolutionary new approach to Test cricket, the fireworks witnessed in the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup, the dominance of the Australian women's team and the Gujarat Titans winning the IPL in their debut season.

Let's look at 5 of the best cricket matches that made people chew their nails and made this game even more special.

5. Australia vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I, Sydney

The first Super Over of 2022 came in the second T20I between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Josh Inglis set it up for Australia with his brisk knock of 48 off 32 balls, but no support from other batsmen meant they huffed and puffed to the 164-run mark. Had it not been for Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera's timely wickets, Australia could have scored upwards of 180.

Chasing a par score of 165, Sri Lanka were jolted early as pacer Josh Hazelwood made early inroads by dismissing Danushka Gunathilaka and Avishka Fernando cheaply.

Soon, the scoreboard read 67/4, and things were looking glum for the Sri Lankans. However, a sensible knock of 73 off 53 from opener Pathum Nissanka and a quickfire cameo of 34 off 19 from skipper Dasun Shanaka brought the visitors back into the contest.

Josh Hazelwood held his nerves and bowled a superb super over to give only 5 runs. Pic: Getty Images

When Nissanka fell, Sri Lanka still needed 12 off 4 deliveries with only 2 wickets in hand. Australia were looking like firm favorites to win the match comfortably.

However, Maheesh Theekshana smashed a six over midwicket off the very first ball he faced, and then, with five needed off the final ball, Chameera slammed a four over long off to tie the contest.

Hazlewood, who claimed 3/22 earlier, was superb in the Super Over as well. He conceded only 5 runs. Marcus Stoinis guided Australia to victory, smashing consecutive fours off Hasaranga.

4. Pakistan vs Zimbabwe, ICC T20 World Cup, Perth

Coming off a gut-wrenching loss against arch-rivals India, Pakistan were itching to win against Zimbabwe in an all-important encounter at the in T20 World Cup.

After getting off to a flying start, scoring 42 runs in 5 overs, Zimbabwe started crumbling, with Shadab Khan and Mohammad Wasim picking up three and four wickets respectively.

Playing his first game of the tournament, Brad Evans chipped in with some useful runs and helped Zimbabwe post a respectable total of 130/8.

Pakistan were also rocked early and reduced to 36/3. Shan Masood revived the innings with the able support of first Shadab Khan and then Mohammad Nawaz. At one stage, they needed 43 off 38 deliveries with 7 wickets in hand.

But then the collapse started and as wickets kept tumbling, the pressure kept mounting. With 3 required off 2 balls, Evans dismissed Nawaz and Shaheen Afridi got run out while trying to steal a quick second as Zimbabwe won by a solitary run.

3. England vs Pakistan, 1st Test, Rawalpindi

When seven centuries are scored across just two innings of a Test match, it's safe to assume it will end in a dull draw. But this Test match was far from that.

With a slender first-innings lead of 78 runs, Ben Stokes' men batted ultra-aggressively in the third innings, scoring at a rate of eight per over.

Following a bold declaration, England gave Pakistan a target of 343 runs to achieve in roughly 100 overs. With the pitch not detiorated enough, this decision raised many eyebrows. But the visiting bowlers, especially the evergreen James Anderson and Ollie Robinson, proved their captain's decision right, picking up 4 wickets each.

Pakistan's final batting pair of Naseem Shah and Mohammad Ali showed some resilience, and it seemed like they would eke out a draw. But Jack Leach trapped the former in front of the wicket to give the tourists a famous win.

2. India W vs Australia W, 2nd T20I, Mumbai

When the Indian women's team arrived at the D.Y. Patil Stadium following a nine-wicket thumping by Australia in the series opener, they were determined for redemption.

Another toothless bowling performance from the hosts saw Beth Mooney and Tahila McGrath scoring freely to help Australia post 187/1.

The Indian opening duo of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma put on a show of extravagant shots to keep the hosts in the hunt. Australia kept picking up wickets, but the Indian scoring rate was never down.

Richa Ghosh and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur also pitched in with handy knocks. With 14 needed off the last over, Ghosh and Devika Vaidya managed to score 13 and tie the match.

In the Super Over, Mandhana and Ghosh amassed 20 runs with some superb hitting. In reply, Alyssa Healey hit some lusty blows, but it wasn't enough as India won the Super Over and the match by 4 runs.

1. India vs Pakistan, ICC T20 World Cup, Melbourne

In front of 90,000 fans in a World Cup match with so much pressure on both sides, it was the sheer greatness of Virat Kohli that saw this match enter the cricket history books as an all-time classic.

Chasing a stiff target of 160, India looked down and out at 31 for 4 in the seventh over. The Pakistan spinners choked India's run rate after the pace bowlers ran through the top order.

Even after some calculated risks from Kohli and Hardik Pandya, Pakistan were very much in the driver’s seat. India stared down the barrel with 54 needed off the final four overs.

But Kohli had other ideas.

With 28 required off 8 deliveries, Kohli had no other option but to take on Haris Rauf in the penultimate over.

What followed next, as they say, is history. Kohli slammed a short-of-a-length ball straight back over Rauf’s head for six. He then pulled off an incredible flicked six high over the fine-leg fielder to end the over in style.

With 16 needed off the final over, Nawaz suffered a serious meltdown, bowling a number of no-balls and wides with Ravichandran Ashwin maintaining his composure to give India a victory to remember for the ages.