Flashback: India’s only last ball victory in ODIs while chasing
T20 cricket has added new dimensions to the game of cricket, and we often see teams winning the game off the last ball. This also prompts excitement among the fans who watch the game. Even in ODIs, we do see some of the matches going down to the wire. However, when we talk about the Indian side, they have won only one match off the last ball while chasing. This was during the final of the 2018 Asia Cup.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and invited the Bangladesh team to bat first. The Bangladesh side started well as their openers Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan added 120 runs for the opening wicket. However, their batting line-up fell apart after the dismissal of Mehidy Hasan.
It was Liton Das who stood tall at one end as wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. He scored a magnificent century, and plundered 121 runs off 117 balls, including 12 fours and 2 sixes. Bangladesh was bowled out for a total of 222 in 48.3 overs. For India, Kuldeep Yadav picked up 3 wickets, giving away 45 runs in his quota of 10 overs. Apart from Yadav, Kedar Jadhav also made a useful contribution with the ball in hand, and took 2 wickets, conceding 41 runs in 9 overs.
India win the Asia Cup! ??
They win by three wickets off the last ball!
A fitting end to a wonderfully exciting tournament. #AsiaCup
— ICC (@ICC) September 28, 2018
Chasing this total, the Indian batting line-up did not perform according to its ability. Even though Rohit Sharma gave a good start for the Indian side by scoring 48 runs off 55 deliveries, the other batsmen could not capitalize on it. India lost its seventh wicket with the scorecard reading 214, and the team still needed 9 runs off 13 balls with Kedar Jadhav and Kuldeep Yadav at the crease.
India needed 6 runs off the final over for a win, and Mahmudullah bowled well to take the game till the last ball. Off the final delivery, 1 run was required and Kedar Jadhav scampered through for a single, courtesy a leg-bye. India thus clinched the Asia Cup for the seventh time. Liton Das was adjudged the Player of the Match for his brilliant century albeit in a losing cause.
