India had defeated Bangladesh by just 1-run in that dramatic match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya had defended 2 runs off the final 3 balls in that game held at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Four years later, Pandya has opened up about that thriller, revealing details of his chat with then skipper MS Dhoni and former pacer Ashish Nehra in between deliveries.
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Defending 11 runs off the final over, Hardik conceded single in the first ball to Mahmuddullah. Subsequently, Mushfiqur Rahim hit him for consecutive boundaries and brought down the equation to two runs off three balls, which should have been a cakewalk but there was a twist in the tale.
While Pandya was walking back to his mark to deliver the fourth ball, Dhoni called him up and had a word. Nehra also joined in the conversation.
Without going into exact details, Pandya said the plan was to bowl back of a length to Mushfiqur. As it turned out, the right-hander mistimed a pull shot and got holed out at the deep square-leg.
“Even at that time if I was there (in Mushfiqur’s place) I would’ve taken a single to secure the win and then go for that signature shot or highlight shot. So I was like what was the most difficult ball if anyone wants to take a single?” Pandya said in a Cricbuzz video, recalling the moment.
“I thought back of length is something if you wanna hit it’s not that easy and even if you wanna take single it’s difficult, you have to get around and play it properly. But he went for the big shot and got out,” he added.
When Bangladesh needed two runs off the final two balls, another conference between Dhoni, Pandya and Nehra took place.
In the penultimate delivery, Mahmudullah could not connect the low full toss as well as he would have liked and Jadeja plucked a fine catch at deep square-leg to bring India right back in the contest.
“The next ball I went for the Yorker, it turned out to be a full toss. It was just destiny, it happened because it had to happen, I didn’t do anything special there,” said Pandya.
Talking about the final ball, the all-rounder revealed Dhoni and Nehra told him to go wide of the off-stump.
“I don’t remember exactly but few people gave suggestions ‘let’s bowl a bouncer’ but we were not up for it because Mahi bhai and Ashu bhai also said that if a tail-ender tries to swing and gets a top edge then it could fly over the keeper. So he said let’s just go with wide outside off stump,” he recalled.
Pandya tried to execute the same and the ball missed the swinging bat of Shuvagata Hom. Non-striker Mustafizur Rahman scampered through for a bye but Dhoni was up to the mark behind the stumps as he ran quickly after gathering the ball and broke the stumps down before the former could reach home.
“I bowled it a bit too wide. After that I lost my voice,” said Pandya.