At one point, the pressure got so intense that Hardik Pandya begun to laugh.
Two runs to win, three deliveries and four wickets in hand, victory was all for the taking for Bangladesh against India in their Super 10 Group 2 match on Sunday night in Bengaluru.
Pandya, who had conceded 20 in his first spell of two overs, was not nervous but the magnitude of the occasion was not lost on the youngster.
“This last over, I won’t forget,” Pandya told the International Cricket Council later. “It will stay for long.
“Pressure was quite high, but I had to be calm,” said Pandya reflecting on the pressure-cooker situation that had everyone on the edge of their seats.
Pandya symbolises the brand of cricket that India have learnt to play under Mahendra Singh Dhoni — street smart, aggressive, and taking the fight to the end.
It is no secret that Dhoni prefers “complete players” — as he often stresses on picking all-rounders — and in Pandya, he seemed to have found his man. Pandya is adept at scoring quickly, is handy with the ball and compliments it with brilliant fielding. Plus, he doesn’t shy away from putting up his hand when needed.
It is a trait learnt from his childhood days when former Baroda coach Sanath Kumar wanted someone to step in for an injured pacer during a division match. None, but Pandya willingly accepted the responsibility even then.
Sunday night though was something different. India were in a must-win situation and Pandya knew one wrong step could put the team in danger of crashing out of the tournament. Though he did not bowl with great precision — his first three balls leaking nine runs — Pandya answered his skipper’s call and more importantly, kept his calm. It was unusual of a 22-year-old to show nerves of steel given the situation.
Said Pandya, “In those situations, if you are not calm, I don’t think you can (achieve a win).” In fact, he says he “was laughing at that time.”
“I was laughing at a point, I got so much advice,” said Pandya. “One of the suggestions, I (followed), and that paid off.”
Dhoni’s belief in giving the final over to the youngster — similar to a gamble he had taken at the 2007 World Cup which India won when he asked the unknown Joginder Sharma to bowl the last over — earned rich rewards that night.
There were many comparisons made between Pandya and Sharma after India’s one-run win, with the Twitter world buzzing with Dhoni’s immaculate thinking and ability to fox the opponents with innovative ideas.
Up next are Australia and the fight for a semi-final slot, and Pandya believes the team will take the field full of confidence.
“This game will help us (against Australia),” said Pandya. “It will give us a lot of confidence. I don’t think we have won it individually. We have won it as a team, so that will help us.”
Just the kind of words Dhoni would like to hear from his young guns.
