I Was Literally Waiting For This Opportunity, Says Vijay Shankar After Final Over Heroics Against Australia

India had to defend 11 runs in the final over of the game and the team did not have a strike bowler who could bowl it. Virat Kohli had two options to choose from with Kedar Jadhav as the first one and Vijay Shankar as the second.
He chose the latter and the punt repaid benefits.

The 28-year-old all-rounder, with two wickets in first three balls, led India to a close victory in the final over of the game as the home side defeated Australia by 8 runs to go 2-0 up in the series.

Just like last year, Shankar had the responsibility to do the job in the last over and unlike 2018, he did the job to perfection and drove India to a great win in a low-scoring contest.

Vijay, after his final over heroics, was happy to redeem himself and said that he was literally waiting for this sort of opportunity.

“It was an opportunity to redeem myself after the expensive over I bowled. I was literally waiting for this opportunity, wanted to bowl under pressure because only if I deliver, they will trust me. I was up for the challenge. Around the 43rd over, I was telling myself that I am bowling the final over and defend the score, just prepared myself a bit. It’s about staying clear mentally. Wanted to just stick to the basics, hit the stumps from a hard length as there was a bit of reverse,” he said.

In March 2018, India were chasing 167 in the final over Nidahas Trophy.

Shankar was playing his maiden international series and couldn’t do well under pressure, consuming 19 deliveries for 17 runs

Thanks to Dinesh Kathi’s brilliance of 29* off 8 that India chased down the target.

Still, the ghost of Nidahas trophy final might have been chasing Shankar but on this occasion, he redeemed himself and showed the world that he is here to stay.

Not just with the ball, the Tamil Nadu player also did the job with the bat scoring 46 off 41.

Courtesy his partnership of 81 with Virat Kohli, India scored 250 that proved to be a match-winning one as the hosts went up 2-0 up in the series.

Australia had their chances in the middle but they lost wickets at crucial junctures, that resulted in India picking up their second win of the series.