Pakistan playing with two spinners was always a disadvantage for them. They retained Haris Rauf for one over in the back end but Virat Kohli turned the tide with two magnificent sixes. Pakistan still had their chances with 16 runs to defend off the last over and hope had increased after Mohmmad Nawaz dismissed Hardik Pandya in the first over. But drama unfolded two deliveries later. With 13 required off the last three balls, Nawaz bowled a no ball, which was sent for a six, then a wide, conceded three more on byes before picking another wicket, of Dinesh Karthik, before bowling another wide and eventually Ashwin scored the winning runs. Nawaz was left shattered.
Following the loss, former India cricketer Virender Sehwag took a dig at Nawaz for his last-over setback, saying that he should have stuck with his natural left-arm spin deliveries rather than trying out new things.
“Main agar uss taraf hota toh main kehta ki aap apna nornal left-arm spin daliye. Kyunki run parenge, koi baat nehi. 16 run kam nehi hote, lekin daalne se dariye mat. Jo life main kabhi kiya hi nahi, matlab ball pakad ke...Wasim Akram thodi na hai aap? Toh phir kyun karna,” he said on Cricbuzz.
For India, it was a rather calculated approach in the run chase. With Pakistan having a spinner more, Kohli admitted that "Nawaz had one over to bowl", but they had to take their chances against Rauf.
{{/usCountry}}For India, it was a rather calculated approach in the run chase. With Pakistan having a spinner more, Kohli admitted that "Nawaz had one over to bowl", but they had to take their chances against Rauf.
{{/usCountry}}"Hardik believed we can do it, if we stayed till the end. When Shaheen bowled from the pavilion end, that's when we decided to take him down. Haris is their prime bowler, and I hit those two sixes. The calculation was simple. Nawaz had one over to bowl, so if I could take Haris down, they would panic. From 28 in 8, it came down to 16 to 6. I tried to stick to my instincts. The first one was back of a hand slower ball (the one over long-on)," Kohli had revealed after his match-winning 53-ball 82*.