One of the best matches ever played between the two rivals was the T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan last year. India was given a target of 160 runs in 20 overs while playing at the crowded Melbourne Cricket Ground. Star batsman Virat Kohli became the game-changer and led India to victory with an unbeaten innings of 82 off 53 balls. India lost two wickets in the form of Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik with 16 needing off the final over. The winning run was then scored by Ravichandran Ashwin on the game’s final pitch.
The wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik put Ashwin in a tough spot, and recently, Ashwin opened up about confronting that final ball and said he “cursed” Karthik.
“I was berating Dinesh Karthik for assigning me the more difficult task. I was already cursing him when I entered, and as soon as I did, I understood the magnitude of the situation: shouting people. I’ve never seen such a large throng. In a video posted by the ICC, Ashwin remarked, “Virat Kohli gave me about 7 alternatives to play that one ball when I came to bat against Pakistan for the final ball in the World Cup.
“The instant Nawaz bowled the wide, I knew I had won the match. Cricket is going to convey many messages in many different ways, and that is how I was able to regain my positive attitude and win the game. When I watch the match or try to fall asleep, my mind wanders to this match. “Maybe it was meant to be finished by me (laughs), but Virat had a fantastic innings,” he continued.
Hardik Pandya was struck out by Mohammad Nawaz’s opening delivery as India needed 16 runs off the final over. Dinesh Karthik then took a single on the following pitch, bringing Virat Kohli to the crease. Kohli then hit 13 runs in the following four deliveries, reducing the equation to two off two. Karthik was eventually stumped on the sixth ball, and after a costly wide from Nawaz, Ashwin took over and singled to end the game.
The Rohit Sharma-led team will begin their campaign against Australia on October 8 in Chennai, according to the 2023 ODI World Cup schedule. On October 15 in Ahmedabad, the bitter adversaries India and Pakistan will face off.
Team India is currently preparing for the forthcoming West Indies tour, where the two teams will compete against one another in two Test series, three ODIs, and five T20Is.
