With India still needing 30 runs to win the match and the series, the responsibility lay in the hands of the experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and lower order power hitter Shardul Thakur to take the team across the finishing line.
While Jadeja kept one end going by ticking off the singles , it was Shardul who stepped up the ante and scored a couple of boundaries to ease the pressure and help the team finish off the run-chase with 8 balls to spare.
Kohli, who usually is the main architect in India's successful run chases, hailed Jadeja and Shardul in the post-match presentation while admitting that he was nervous seeing his innings coming to an end earlier than expected.
“Shardul and Jaddu finishing is very good to see, these guys finishing the game is a much bigger thing. I had a nervous look when I walked back, but when I watched Jaddu he looked very confident,” he said.
Later on Monday morning, Kohli also posted a cheeky tweet for Shardul as he wrote: “Tula maanla re Thakur” which roughly translates to “Maan gye tujhe Thakur or I take my hat off to you Thakur”.