Nail-biting Finishes Like These Is What We Play For: Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur was declared man of the match as he ended the match with figures of 4/33

Photo: BCCI (Twitter)

Wellington: Team India young all-rounder Shardul Thakur defended 7 runs in the final over of the fourth T20I against New Zealand to help his squad attain a second consecutive Super Over win in Wellington. India now have a 4-0 lead in the five-match series. While Shardul helped India tie the game, chasing 14, K.L. Rahul made 10 before getting departed off the third ball and then skipper Kohli finished the game off with a boundary. Shardul Thakur was declared man of the match as he ended the match with figures of 4/33. "You couldn't ask for anything more," said Shardul at the post-match presentation ceremony. "This is what we play for, these nail-biting finishes." "After the last game, we learned that we should never lose hope. If I bowl a dot ball or a wicket ball, the pressure is on them," he said. Additionally, Shardul also made a valuable contribution with the bat, scoring 20 runs off 15 balls and sharing a 43-run partnership for the seventh wicket -- the highest of the Indian innings. "It was important to stretch the partnership in the middle, and should have carried on until the 19th and 20th over, so hopefully next time things turn out better for me," he said. Fast bowler Tim Southee, who was standing in as New Zealand captain in the absence of Kane Williamson, said that the hosts made it tough for themselves by giving India a sniff in the final stages of the game after dominating for most of it. "It is very tough. To get ourselves the position we got today and then give them a chance... India grabbed it with both hands. When you got a young bowling attack, it's a critical decision (to bowl the Super Over) from a number of people. You make it tough on yourself when you give a sniff to teams like India," he said.