Virat Kohli and his unbeaten 82 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday hogged all the limelight in what was a drama-filled India versus Pakistan match at the 2022 T20 World Cup. He struggled initially, then with Hardik Pandya by his side, built up a match-winning partnership. But after the match, Kohli was all praise for Ashwin for his 'bravery' in the last two balls he faced in the Group 2 match of the Super 12 stage.
For Pakistan, they had sniffed yet another historic win when Dinesh Karthik was dismissed with one ball remaining. Mohammad Nawaz had bounced back under pressure in that dram-filled last over to outsmart Karthik.
For a new batter to walk in at that stage of a high-pressure game, takes a lot, but Ashwin was calm under pressure and rather took on Nawaz smartly. Knowing he would go down the leg side again, he moved inside the line and umpire called it a wide ball. With a single required now, and all fielders asked to close in, Ashwin went deep against the fuller ball and lofted it over covers for a boundary.
After the match, Kohli hailed Ashwin for his brave decision to came back into the line. He admitted being astonished at Ashwin's act.
{{/usCountry}}After the match, Kohli hailed Ashwin for his brave decision to came back into the line. He admitted being astonished at Ashwin's act.
{{/usCountry}}"When you need a run rate of 15 or 16 and you get two runs in two balls, then people might relax a bit, might get over excited as well thinking that the rest is done. Then Dinesh Karthik got out. Then I told Ash to hit the ball over covers. But Ash, usne dimaag ke upar extra dimaag lagaya. That was a brave thing for him to do. Came inside the line, made that into a wide ball. The situation next was if he could get the ball through the gaps, we would definitely win the match," he told Star Sports after the match.
India will next play against Netherlands on October 27 in their second Group 2 match before squaring off against South Africa three days later on October 30.