When Dinesh Karthik came to the crease, India required 34 off the final 12 deliveries in the Nidahas Trophy final against Bangladesh in Colombo. Mustafizur Rahman's impressive wicket-maiden in the 18th over left Karthik with a nervy Vijay Shankar at the other end of the crease as the pair looked to overhaul a herculean task in Sri Lanka. But what unravelled in the next two overs was simply unbelievable as Karthik made the most of Bangladesh's errs to finish off the chase successfully with a last-ball six.
He scored 22 runs in the penultimate over, punishing Rubel Hossain with two boundaries and as many six as he continuously missed the yorker length. Karthik pummeled the low-full toss over long-on for a six to begin the over before slogging the half-volley down to the same region for a four as Colombo went berserk. He then heaved the fullish ball down leg side over square leg for another six before he drew Hossain into bowling outside off only to get in position firmly to send the ball roaring down to the long leg boundary. And in a matter of just six balls, India's reduced the equation to 12 off the final six.
But there was some hope in Bangladesh dugout as Soumya Sarkar was to bowl to a profoundly deflated Shankar in the final over. The all-rounder, who stood as a mere spectator to the fireworks in the last over, had managed only 12 off 15 deliveries so far. But after the initial jitter, he managed to find the gap at the third man as he drifted the outside off fuller delivery for a boundary, leaving India five off two.
However, Bangladesh had the last laugh as Sarkar dismissed Shankar. But luckily, he got Karthik on strike for the final ball and he drilled the wide half volley from Sarkar over the extra cover rope for a six and India lifted the Nidahas Trophy with a four-wicket win.
"Really happy to come out of this performance. Really happy for the team. We've played really well in this tournament and to not win the final would have been unfortunate. It was not that easy to bat there. The way Musftazur bowled... So I just had to go out there and hit the ball hard. I have been practising keeping a good base and hitting through the line and luckily it came out well. The Indian team is a tough place to get an opportunity, but once you get it, you have to take it. And credit to the backroom staff, they have always supported me and I'm really happy," Karthik said after the match.
