Nidahas Trophy 2018: India clinch a thriller with Dinesh Karthik's last-ball six against Bangladesh

Colombo, March 18: Dinesh Karthik played one of the finest innings of a lifetime with his unbeaten 29 runs off just 8 balls and guided India to pull off a sensational chase and beat Bangladesh by four wickets here on Sunday (March 18).

Match Scorecard | Twitterati hail DK's knock

With five required off the final ball of the innings, the veteran Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman held on to his nerve and hit a six over covers to ensure the second-string Indian side lift the Nidahas Trophy 2018.

India needed 34 off the last 12 deliveries when Karthik walked into the middle to bat, but the veteran cricketer who keeps getting in and out in the side showed why he's considered such a dangerous player in limited overs. He amassed 22 runs off the penultimate over bowled by Rubel Hossain.

Winning a tournament final with a SIX off last possible ball of the match:
Javed Miandad (Australasia Cup 1986)
Dinesh Karthik (TONIGHT)#INDvBAN #NidahasTrophy2018

— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) March 18, 2018

With 12 required off the final over, Karthik ensured he keeps his wicket intact and hit the winning runs with five required of the final ball. Soumya Sarkar bowled the final over and conceded just 7 runs of the five balls, including a wicket of Vijay Shankar (17). But Karthik getting the strike on the final ball ensured the Indians had the last laugh. The 32-year-old was named the man of the match for changing the course of the game in a matter of some 15 minutes.

"Really happy to come out of this performance. We have played really well in this tournament and to not win the final would have been unfortunate. It was not that easy to bat there. So I just had to go out there and hit the ball hard. I have been practising keeping a good base and hitting the line and luckily it came out well," an elated Karthik said during the post-match presentation.

"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," he said.

Earlier, skipper Rohit Sharma led his team from the front in the run chase of 167 and slammed his 14th T20I half-century. Rohit scored 56 off 42 deliveries (4 fours and 3 sixes) and stitched crucial partnerships with KL Rahul (24 off 14) and Manish Pandey (28 off 27) but was dismissed at a critical juncture.

And well deserved. Washington Sundar is player of the series. Find of the tour. Remember he is only 18.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 18, 2018

New man-in Shankar was promoted in the batting order, which was his first outing into the middle with the bat. Runs dried up for the Indians till the time he and Pandey were present into the middle and asking rate kept increasing.

It was only after the dismissal of Pandey and Karthik's entry into the middle that did the job for India as the former couldn't score freely.

What a finish!!! Well played big guy @DineshKarthik. Outstanding effort by the team. #INDvBAN #topstuff

— Jasprit bumrah (@Jaspritbumrah93) March 18, 2018

With this win, India maintained their unbeaten run against Bangladesh in the T20Is as the latter came closer towards winning the game, twice but faltered in the final over. This series is also a morale booster for the side for it comprised of the bench strength as the senior players like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya were rested.

Earlier, pacers undid the hard work of the Indian spinners as Bangladesh scored a competitive 166 for eight, riding on Sabbir Rahman's 50-ball 77.

Off-spinner Washington Sundar (1/20 in 4 overs) and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (3/18 in 4 overs) were brilliant in the Powerplay but the duo of Vijay Shankar (0/48 in 4 overs) and Shardul Thakur (0/45 in 4 overs) leaked 93 runs between them on a good batting surface. While the Washington-Chahal duo bowled 20 dot balls between them with only one boundary, Shankar and Thakur conceded 10 boundaries and four sixes.

Sundar has been the biggest positive of the series for India as they tested their bench strength after resting senior pros. The 18-year-old all-rounder from Tamil Nadu was adjudged the Player of the series for putting up a fantastic show all through the series and bowling incredibly well in the powerplays.

Without Kohli, Dhoni, Bhuvi, Bumrah and Kuldeep, this is a superb triumph for India. Shows great merit in reserves...and oldies like Karthik

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) March 18, 2018

Jaydev Unadkat (2/33) did come back well in his final over but Sabbir cleverly waited for the spinners to finish their quota as he launched a furious assault on the pacers during the back-10.

Skipper Rohit Sharma taking a gamble by introducing both spinners inside the Powerplay overs instead of using an effective part-timer like Suresh Raina when Thakur and Shankar were being hit, came as a surprise. The last six overs of the Bangladesh innings yielded 66 runs -- mostly coming from Sabbir's blade.

India rested half a dozen players for this series...and still lost only one game on the tour. It’s not just a T20 trophy win....it’s a statement of sorts. Well done, India 🇮🇳 #NidahasTrophy

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 18, 2018

The 17th over was the one when Shankar fluffed his lines with the back of the hand slower deliveries as Sabbir hit him for a six over deep mid-wicket followed by one over long-on. Shardul, whose knuckleball has been a hit was picked up by Sabbir in the next over for two cheeky boundaries.

Earlier, Washington, who has grown from strength to strength again stifled the batsmen in the Powerplay overs. Bangladesh openers Tamim Iqbal (15) and Litton Das (11) started off in a whirlwind fashion but Washington forced the latter to play a slog sweep and the ball ballooned for Raina to complete a lovely catch.

The dangerous Tamim was more of a fielder's wicket as Chahal flighted one altering the length. The left-hander jumped out at the invitation and his lofted shot had elevation but couldn't clear the distance. Shardul maintained his balance beautifully at the long-on boundary rope to cling onto the catch.

Also fabulous knocks by Rohit Sharma & Manish Pande prepared the foundation of such a miraculous win @BCCI @DineshKarthik @ImRo45

— Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv) March 18, 2018

Chahal got his second wicket when an out-of-form Soumya Sarkar (1) tried to slog sweep a fuller delivery from Chahal with Shikhar Dhawan taking a simple catch at square-leg.

The wiry-framed leg-spinner got his third wicket when an in-form Mushfiqur Rahim (9) tried to hit inside out but was caught smartly by Shankar covering some distance on his right. Sabbir, however, continued to play his strokes -- some cheeky, a few streaky and some confident ones in between.

In Mahmudullah Riyadh (21), he found a steady ally and added 36 runs before a miscommunication saw the vice-captain getting run-out by Vijay Shankar. Shankar then had a hand in getting rival captain Shakib Al Hasan run-out with a direct throw from cover region. But Sabbir's big-hitting prowess helped them post a challenging total.

(With inputs from PTI)