R Ashwin proved the match-winner for India in the crunch match against Pakistan at the MCG on Sunday, as he hit the winning runs off Mohammad Nawaz, while Virat Kohli stood at the non-striker’s end.
Kohli had done all he could, scoring 82* in 53 balls with 4 sixes and 6 fours, including a four off Nawaz’s 4th ball of the 20th over, and then scampering for three byes. Then Dinesh Karthik got out off the fifth delivery and in walked R Ashwin.
Under tremendous pressure as India needed 2 to win off the last ball, Ashwin showed great presence of mind as he show Nawaz darting one delivery down the leg side and moving in towards the stumps to let the ball go which was signaled a wide.
On the last ball, with one needed and all fielders inside the 30-yard circle, Ashwin hit the ball over the mid-off fielder and ran the all-important run which gave India a 4-wicket win over its arch-rivals.
In a video posted by BCCI, R Ashwin was in conversation with former India batter Hrishikesh Kanitkar and said that when he went inside the ground after Dinesh Karthik's dismissal, Virat Kohli was charged and it felt like the Indian batter was possessed.
He also joked that had the ball from Nawaz, which he left and was called wide, turned and hit him on the pad, he would have gone onto Twitter and written his retirement note.
"If that ball of Nawaz turned and hit my pad then only one thing I do was back to dressing room and picked my Twitter and write 'Thank you so much, It was wonderful my cricketing career and Journey and thank you all (laughs)'," Ashwin said.
Here is the tweet:
