If I bowl a dot ball or a wicket ball, the pressure is on them: Shardul Thakur after India’s Super Over heist in Wellington

Shardul Thakur, the Indian fast bowler, was over the moon after the Men in Blue’s victory over New Zealand at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington. The speedster went for a few in the fourth T20I, but delivered when it mattered the most. The hosts needed seven runs off the last over and Thakur had the task of bailing India out of jail. To start with, he got rid of the dangerous Ross Taylor.

But Daryl Mitchell smacked him for a boundary in the second ball. Nevertheless, the Mumbai pacer held his nerve. In the penultimate ball of the over, he pinned Mitchell and the match went into the Super Over. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul got India over the line in the one-over eliminator, but Thakur was adjudged the Player of the Match. Quite expectantly, Thakur was a satisfied lot.

We should never lose hope, says Shardul Thakur

He understands that nothing builds pressure more than dot balls and frequent wickets. “You couldn’t ask for anything more. 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,” Shardul was quoted as saying in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Thakur played a vital role with the bat as well. He stitched together a 43-run stand along with Manish Pandey and brought India back from 88 for six in 11.3 overs. Thakur scored 20 off 15 with a couple of fours before perishing to fast bowler Hamish Bennett. On the back of the useful partnership, the Men in Blue went on to rack up 165 on the board from a precarious position.

“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 added.

Having taken a 4-0 lead in the five-match series, Kohli’s men now head to Mount Maunganui for the fifth and final T20I. At the Bay Oval, India will be looking for another victory and a clean sweep.