New Delhi: India required 34 off the last 12 balls when wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik came out to bat at number 7 spot. Smashing a 6,4 and 6 of the first three balls, DK made it clear that something extraordinary was on its way. Before deflated Vijay Shankar (17 off 19 balls) got out on the penultimate ball of the inning he did the only right thing of his knock which was giving strike back to Dinesh. With 5 required of the last ball, delirious DK launched Soumya Sarkar’s delivery over extra-covers for a flat six to register one of India’s most memorable wins.
Smashing 29 off 8 balls at a strike rate of over 362, Karthik singlehandedly snatched victory from the jaws of the Bangladeshi Tigers.
After being awarded man of the match for his blitzkrieg, the 32-year-old revealed his mantra of his composure and what was going through his mind during the unbelievable knock.
"It was not easy to bat. The match got into the situation that all I had to do was to go for the boundaries. I have been practising those shots where I hold a good base and try to swing through the line and it came off well for me today,” elated Karthik said after the match.
“Really happy to come out of this tournament. Wouldn't have done justice to the tournament had we not won with the bunch of young guys in the team,” Karthik added.
Delivering one of the greatest cameos of the modern era, Karthik now joins the exclusive club of players who have won international matches with a six off the last ball. His name now slips in alongside those of Javed Miandad, Ryan McLaren, Nathan McCullum, Lance Klusener and Shivnarine Chanderpaul who too clobbered the ball over the rope to turn the match around for their sides.