Hardik Pandya was confident of getting India across the line when he was given the task of bowling the last over against New Zealand in the 3rd and final T20I. And when captain Virat Kohli tried coming up to him during the over, he told him not to worry.
“I tried going up to him (in the final over), but after three balls he said, I’ll do it, you don’t have to worry,” said the Indian captain in the post-match press conference, “As a captain, when you get that kind of confidence from your bowlers, you aren’t left with much to say. He has confidence in his abilities and he finished off the game well.”
Virat Kohli said that he trusted Hardik Pandya to see India through to the finish line when he tossed the ball to the all-rounder. New Zealand needed 19 runs in the last over chasing 68 in a rain-curtailed match.
The match was delayed by rain because of which both sides played a tense match lasting eight overs each.
Pandya gave away just 12 in the last over as India secured a six run victory to win the match and the series.
India had won the first T20I that was held in Delhi. It was the final match of Ashish Nehra’s career and the first victory for India in any T20I against New Zealand. But the Kiwis came out all guns blazing in the second T20I and ended up levelling the series.
