Nail-biting suspense built in the Indian pavilion as the expected dead rubber third T20I against Afghanistan at the Chinnaswamy Stadium was knotted and only won by the hosts after an extraordinary two Super Overs on Wednesday.
The Indian Cricket Council (BCCI) posted a video giving an inside look at the team area during the game. The clip showed Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid becoming more and more anxious. At the same time, rookies like Jitesh Sharma revealed their sense of being overwhelmed by the circumstances.
Watch the video here.
Double the drama ????
Double the nerves ????
All thanks to a Double Super-Over ????
A BTS view of the thriller from the M Chinnaswamy Stadium with #TeamIndia ????????
WATCH ???????? #INDvAFG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/Uy4OAXVTJz— BCCI (@BCCI) January 18, 2024
India scored 212/4 in the first innings because to a spectacular combination between Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh (both of whom recorded their greatest T20I scores), which elevated the team from 22/4. In response, each of Afghanistan’s top three hitters scored 50 runs, and Gulbadin Naib’s outstanding performance in the final few overs enabled Afghanistan tie the game.
Afghanistan scored 16 in their first Super Over against Mukesh Kumar. Rohit then blasted a couple more sixes to help tie the game again.
With two runs needed off the final ball, the right-handed hitter retired out to allow Rinku to rush to the non-striker’s end, hoping he’d be faster. However, Yashasvi Jaiswal at the striker’s end failed to connect cleanly, allowing them to just take one.
India scored 11 in the second Super Over, thanks to Rohit again. It appeared to be a chaseable score, but leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi got two wickets (the maximum permitted in a Super Over) on the first and third balls to secure the victory for the hosts.
India head coach Dravid Dravid credits Rohit for backing Ravi Bishnoi in the crucial second Super Over
After the match, Bishnoi discussed how there were uncertainties over who would bowl the second Super Over between him and bowler Avesh Khan before Rohit decided on him.
After the match, Rahul Dravid lauded it as a “great call”, saying:
“I think Rohit went with his gut, he went with a call… I think he felt that the spinner had a better chance to take those two wickets. It was one of games when 11 wasn’t probably a huge score and where you know that if they batted those six balls, with the power they had, they probably would’ve got the 12 runs. You needed to take two wickets. I think it was a great call from the skipper to go with the spinner.”
Rahul Dravid
India won the series 3-0 and will now play five Test matches against England.