Kohli and Pandya added 113 runs for the fifth wicket when India were tottering at 31/4.
Chasing 160 to win, the Men in Blue were in dire straits at 31/4 after 6.1 overs. Amid the pressure situation, Kohli and Pandya rose to the occasion, adding 113 runs for the fifth wicket to put India on the brink of victory, which was eventually sealed by R Ashwin with a single on the last delivery of the match.
After the game, Pandya (40 off 37 balls) and Kohli (82* off 53 balls) interacted with each other for bcci.tv, where the former said he would have taken a bullet for the latter during their partnership, which shifted the momentum toward India.
“I would have taken a bullet for you at that point of time, but I would not have let you get out. My goal was simple, and whatever I can do to make your life easier, I’ll do it. You have done it so many times and no one is better at handling pressure than you,” Pandya told Kohli.
With 48 needed off 18 balls, Virat Kohli wreaked havoc on the Pakistan bowlers as India accumulated 17 runs in the 18th over off Shaheen Afridi and 15 runs in the penultimate over off Haris Rauf.
Hardik lauded Kohli for his back-to-back sixes against Haris Rauf, who has bowled superbly before that over.
“Those two shots played by Virat Kohli, just because I know how important those two shots were, if you had missed even shot, still they were running ahead with the game,” said Pandya.
“I have hit a lot of sixes, but those two sixes were really really special. What it meant for both of us, we actually were so pumped. Those two shots, I told him that I have played so much cricket but I do not think anyone could have played those two shots except Mr. Kohli,” he added.
While Hardik Pandya was not at his aggressive best, the all-rounder did play a key role in helping Kohli to play his natural game.
“Yeah, the best part of today was that we struggled, but we did it together. This would not have been this special if we would have just walked, just cruised through hitting exceptional shots. It feels more special because we struggled. We were talking to each other on how difficult it was. Credit to Pakistan as well, they bowled really well. They were fantastic,” said Pandya while reflecting on their partnership.
Virat Kohli also acknowledged that Hardik played a vital role in calming him down during a crucial juncture of the run chase.
“Hardik was very fearless in that partnership, when he came onto bat, he immediately told me, ‘Let’s talk, let’s communicate and we will bat deep by building a partnership, anything can happen’. He really kept me focused at that point, because I was looking to hit a few big shots, which could have been risky because we had already lost four wickets by that time.”
Talking about the emotions in the dressing room, Pandya said: “I sensed a lot of pressure in our room, I could sense it. It was a big game, but for me, I do not know, for some odd reason, I was very numb today when I came to the ground. This is where I wanted to be and I am just happy to be here. The quality of relationship which I have in this group is something I cherish.”