Hardik Pandya Opens Up On The Heartbreaking Run Out Of MS Dhoni In World Cup
There was no stopping Team India last year’s World Cup while the league stage was on. Barring the narrow loss to England, India were almost unstoppable as they won all the other games and finished the ten-team league stage at the top of the points table. However, their juggernaut came to a screeching halt in the semifinal when New Zealand stunned them in a low-scoring thriller.
India had staged a brilliant comeback to revive their hopes after being reduced to 92 for 6 while chasing 239 but eventually lost the game by 18 runs. India’s hopes were up in smoke right at the beginning of their innings when they were reduced to 5 for 3.
Matt Henry accounted for KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma while Trent Boult dismissed Virat Kohli to put New Zealand on top. India soon found themselves 4 down for 24 and then 6 down for 92. The game looked very much over at that moment before Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni revived India’s hopes. The two mixed caution with aggression to keep India in hunt.
But with 37 runs needed, Jadeja miscued his shot in the 48th over to be out for 77. All the eyes were on MS Dhoni. With 31 runs needed from the last two overs, only MS Dhoni could have taken India over the line. He started the 49th over on a perfect note by dispatching Lockie Ferguson for a six. However, two balls later he was run-out when he tried to take a non-existing single in order to keep the strike.
Pandya on run-out:
India allrounder Hardik Pandya has now opened up on the heartbreaking scenes after the loss at the hands of New Zealand. Hardik Pandya revealed that the whole team found it hard to deal with the disappointment of being knocked out by the Kiwis. He said the whole team was convinced that Dhoni would take India over the finish line but all hope was lost when he got run out.
“For couple of days in morning when we used to get we felt like what just happened. I still remember after the game someone messaged on a group saying it does not feel right. We all were feeling the same. This is not true,” Hardik Pandya told India Today.
“For us to express the fact was a lot but that’s sport. Most difficult part was you have to sleep that night. But the biggest trauma was when MS got out. I just knew with that person we knew, he has done so many times and he is going to do one more time. It was a miracle throw from Martin Guptill. Otherwise we were still confident.
“I knew Jimmy Neesham was going to bowl. And MS has 14 years of experience and that guy is chilled out. Mahi Bhai does not get much into the situations. I kind of knew that MS will find a way to score 2 sixes. When that run-out happened we were still feeling MS made it in. You don’t generally see a run-out with MS. And then we saw on the screen and MS walking,” he added.
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