Known for his strategic thinking, captain Rohit Sharma took a risk when he gave the ball to wrist-spinner Ravi Bishnoi. This choice proved to be a brilliant one, as Bishnoi defended the target admirably and received praise from none other than the great Rahul Dravid.
At Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy stadium, cricket fans were in for an incredible ride as a thrilling match between India and Afghanistan kept them on the edge of their seats. The match, which saw an incredible 424 runs in just 40 overs, ultimately came down to two Super Overs, which is an uncommon treat for cricket fans.
Afghanistan, having just equaled India’s impressive 212 in 20 overs, demonstrated their strength against Mukesh Kumar by scoring 16 runs in the first Super Over. India came back with similar fervor and leveled the scores, sending the game into yet another Super Over. The scene was prepared for a suspenseful conclusion.
With the focus now on Mohammad Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz of Afghanistan, the 11-run aim looked doable considering how well they had played the entire match. During the chase, Nabi in particular was unrelenting, scoring a scorching 16-ball 34 that ignited the crowd.
“I believe Rohit followed his instincts and answered a call.
I believe he believed there was a greater opportunity for the spinner to get those two wickets. It was one of those games when 11 wasn’t quite a big score and you knew that, given their power, they probably would have scored 12 runs if they had batted those six balls. As reported by Cricbuzz, Dravid stated, “You had to take two wickets.”
Recalling the intense events, Bishnoi said,
“Even though I was under pressure and my heart was racing, I knew I could finish the job.” The captain urged me to bowl, and I knew that if I bowled back of the length ball, it would be difficult for them to smash on the back foot. Being on the defensive during the super overs is very enjoyable.”
But there was drama throughout the game as well. When Mohammad Nabi missed a full ball and then managed to sneak in a run off a deflected underarm delivery in the opening Super Over, there was a brief altercation. Even when Virat Kohli and Rohit expressed their anger, Dravid played down the event, blaming it on the intense emotions that come with such closely contested games.
Bishnoi could have scored two sixes, but I thought he was excellent: Dravid
Dravid said that Rohit made a smart choice in selecting the spinner, and he applauded the captain for depending on Bishnoi for the crucial over. He cautioned Bishnoi about the possibility of giving up two sixes, but in the end, he gave him credit for his clever execution of the strategy.
“I think the skipper made a wise decision by choosing to go with the spinner. Though he had the opportunity to hit two sixes, I felt Bishnoi was outstanding because he produced two excellent deliveries. He drew back the length; on this small ground, it would have gone for a six if the length had gone a little fuller, the way they were batting. Dravid continued, “I thought Rohit made a really wise gut decision to go for the wickets and be more optimistic rather than maybe going with the safer choice, which many would have expected.
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