Hardik Pandya Leaks Conversation With Virat Kohli During Epic MCG Clash vs Pakistan

India’s premier all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, recalls his infield chat with Virat Kohli during the epic victory against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the T20 World Cup 2022.

The spectators were at the edge of their seats till the last ball while the players displayed pure emotion after the result. That was one of the four victories India got in the campaign’s five group-stage encounters.

Virat Kohli carried India over the line

Winning the toss, the blue brigade’s captain, Rohit Sharma, decided to bowl first, as they restricted the Babar Azam-led side to 159/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Hardik Pandya was the peak of the bowlers with his incredible spell of 3/30 in four overs, while Arshdeep Singh grabbed three scalps.

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It wasn’t a fluent start for the Indian side, as they lost four wickets in the first seven overs. But Hardik and Virat Kohli put up a fine 113-run stand for the fifth wicket to keep them in the hunt. The former punished 40 runs in 37 deliveries at a strike rate of 108.11, shouldering on one boundary and two sixes, while Kohli remained unbeaten on 82 runs in 53 balls.

Hardik Pandya reveals team management’s plan

The partnership struggled at the start, but once the arch-rivals introduced their left-arm spinner, Mohammad Nawaz, Pandya went after him for a couple of big shots straightaway.

“My first thought was that we could do it. It looked like a very steep hill to climb, but I’ve been in many games where you don’t lose a battle until you give up, right? So, it was about believing in ourselves, staying at the crease, and taking the game ball by ball, step by step. Let’s see who cracks under pressure.” Hardik Pandya expressed this during a recent interaction.

Hardik Pandya revealed that his primary aim was to push Virat deep into the run chase as he revealed the message from the team management.

“My primary objective in this game was for Virat to play as long as possible. As soon as I walked in, my only message to him was that he had to stay until the 20th over.” The Baroda all-rounder highlighted.

Hardik Pandya was struggling to get the runs off his blade, but the entire momentum changed with the introduction of Nawaz. The left-arm spinner had a terrible evening, as he went for 42 runs in four overs.

“When Nawaz came on to bowl, I specifically remember saying, ‘I’m going to go after him.’ I knew I had to accelerate. I knew that if the ball landed in my arc, I was going to attack. It was a great opportunity for us to win the game by being fearless because there was no room left for holding ourselves back—we had to play risky cricket.” The Gujarat-born addressed.

Mumbai Indians’ captain displays emotion

The best shot of the evening that everyone talks about is the straight backfoot punch from Kohli to Haris Rauf for a straight six down the ground. Once Pandya was dismissed and Dinesh Karthik fell short of the crease, Kohli charged some quick runs to get the momentum back.

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Ravichandran Ashwin calmly left the leg-sided delivery that went for a wide. The veteran lofted the last delivery of the contest for a single to carry them over the line with four wickets in hand.

“Pure emotion, man. We were so excited. That shot (off Haris Rauf) was like breaking the opponent’s back. When you stay in the fight, you stay in the hunt, and a lot of things start going your way. This is one of those iconic games that will always be remembered.” Hardik Pandya concluded.