Rohit Sharma’s Indian cricket team masters the art of a last ball finish

Rohit Sharma has stepped up admirably in the role of captaincy for the Indian cricket team. With Virat Kohli taking a break occasionally for series or formats, Rohit has provided great leadership for the team. The year 2018, in particular, has been sensational for India and Rohit. In March 2018, a depleted Indian side defeated Bangladesh in the final of the Nidahas Trophy tri-series. In September, India once again got the better of Bangladesh in the Asia Cup final while in the recently concluded series against West Indies, Rohit’s side achieved a 3-0 whitewash of the two-time Twenty20 champions.

Read More | India vs West Indies 3rd T20I: India win by 6 wickets, clinch series

However, when one looks at the success of the side, there has been at least one game in each of these series that has resulted in a last-ball finish. Luckily for India, they have come out as the victors on all three occasions. Here are the instances when Rohit’s side won the game off the last ball.

Read More |Dhawan returning to form crucial ahead of Australia tour: Rohit Sharma

1)      Nidahas Trophy final – India vs Bangladesh – DK’s super six

After suffering a loss in the opening game against Sri Lanka in Colombo, India reached the final to face Bangladesh. In the final, chasing 167, Rohit scored a fifty but Bangladesh fought back to keep the runs down as the asking rate mounted. With 34 runs needed off 12 balls, Dinesh Karthik blasted 22 runs off Rubel Hossain and the equation boiled down to 12 off the last over. Soumya Sarkar bowled well and with five runs needed off one ball, India were in a desperate situation. However, Karthik slammed a the last ball flat over deep extra cover for a six to break Bangladesh hearts.

2)      Asia Cup final – India vs Bangladesh – A stolen legbye

Bangladesh had shown they were a force to reckon with in the Asia Cup. After knocking Sri Lanka out, they repeated the dose and knocked Pakistan out to enter the final. Awaiting them was India, who had not lost a game but had just escaped a tie against a buoyant Afghanistan. In the final, Liton Das blasted 121 but the rest of the batting suffered a collapse and Bangladesh managed just 222.

In response, none of the Indian batsmen got a big score after a good start. The match swung like a pendulum and in the final over, India needed six runs off six balls. Mahmudullah was given the task of bowling the final over and he kept it real tight. With one run needed off the last ball, Kedar Jadhav managed to get a leg bye as India once again continued to prolong Bangladesh’s agony

3)      Third Twenty20 International – India vs West Indies – Suddenly goes down to the wire

Nicholas Pooran’s magnificent 53 off 25 balls was the catalyst in West Indies reaching 181/3. In response, Shikhar Dhawan (92) and Rishabh Pant (58) put India on course for a comfortable win with a 130-run stand. The left-handed Pant fell to Keemo Paul in the 19^th over as he attempted a reverse paddle but his middle stump was pegged back. Boosted by the wicket, Paul kept it tight, conceding just three runs and India needed five off the last over. Fabian Allen, the left-arm spinner, conceded four runs off three balls. A dot ball in the fourth over resulted and on the fifth ball, Dhawan was out. However, Manish Pandey got the single thanks to a misfield as India completed their domination of the West Indies.