‘Something new that I’ve learnt’: Virat Kohli reacts after India’s second Super Over win against New Zealand in 3 days
India vs New Zealand 4th T20I: India beat New Zealand via Super Over in the 4th T20I at Wellington to go 4-0 up in the series. Reacting on the win, Kohli said it was all about staying calm.
India captain Virat Kohli is no stranger to chasing totals down but he had never batted in a Super Over before. When the opportunity came in the 4th T20I against New Zealand at Wellington, he showed exactly why he is rated as one of the best in the business. Chasing 14 in the Super Over, KL Rahul hit a six and a four in the first two balls before getting out off the third one. Kohli had the strike as they had crossed. Needing 4 runs off 3 balls, the first thing he did was to tap it for a couple to make it 2 off 2 balls and then hit a pull shot for a boundary to finish the match.
This was India’s successive Super Over win in 3 days. Both teams ended up with 165 at the end of 20 overs. If last match was about how Shami brought India back from 2 run off 4 balls situation, Friday was about Shardul Thakur. New Zealand only needed 7 runs in the last over with 7 wickets in hand. Thakur at first got Ross Taylor out with a fuller length delivery and then got the wicket of Daryl Mitchell with a knuckle ball. In between India inflicted two run outs, including the one off the last ball when New Zealand batsman Santner tried to come back for the second run.
“There’s something new that I’ve learnt, that you’ve just got to stay calm in the game, observe what’s happening and if the opportunity comes then you capitalize on it. The fans couldn’t have asked for a better finish in two consecutive games. We hadn’t played super-over before, and now we have played two back to back,” said Kohli at the post-match presentation.
Seifert had put New Zealand in position to win the game as he combined with Ross Taylor (24) in a 62-run partnership that was broken in the final over.
Seifert was then run out for 57, while Daryl Mitchell was caught and Mitchell Santner run out on the final ball attempting the second run that would have given New Zealand the win.
Opener Colin Munro had earlier scored 64 but threw his wicket away after some lazy running led to him being run out from a direct hit by Kohli after he took a relay throw from the outfield from Thakur.
India had scored 165-8 in their 20 overs, with Manish Pandey having superbly marshalled the tail and scored his third half century to finish on 50 not out.
The final game is in Mt. Maunganui on Sunday before a three-match one-day international series starts in Hamilton on Feb. 5.