‘He tells us, this is what I’m going to do’- India coach on final over conversation that led to India’s historic win against Pakistan

Ravi Ashwin is considered one of the smartest cricket players in the world today. Known for witty replies on and off the field and insightful analysis, Ashwin has made a name for himself in the game. Oftentimes, his peers claim him to be the smartest voice in the dressing room.

His intelligent brain is often on show in YouTube podcasts and interviews, but it was at the cricket pitch that fans got to see Ashwin’s mind at work when he walked in in the dying embers of the game against Pakistan.

Needing two runs off two balls in the 20-20 World Cup opener for India, Ashwin smartly tricked the bowler Mohammad Nawaz into bowling a wide of the leg side. On the next ball, he smartly played the field and cleared the 30-yard circle to win India a historic match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

What followed was high praise from match winner Virat Kohli who claimed that Ashwin used his intelligence to win India the game. When India’s bowling coach Paras Mhamre was asked about the instructions that were given to Ashwin before going to bat, he said, “Actually, it’s the other way round. He tells us, ‘this is what I’m going to do.”

“It’s just the way he is. The individual is so full of composure, and his presence of mind to actually leave the ball… any other individual at that stage would swing his bat, but that’s Ashwin for you,” he further explained.

Dimaag ke uppar extra dimaag lagaya- Virat Kohli

Earlier Virat Kohli who played a match-winning knock of 82 off 53 also lauded Ashwin’s presence of mind.

“I told Ashwin to hit over the covers. But uss time pe Ash ne dimaag ke uppar extra dimaag lagya (Ashwin used his brain at that point of time). That was a very brave thing to do, he came inside the line and the ball turned out to be a wide. The situation was that if the ball goes into the gap, we will end up winning and that is what happened,” Kohli had said in a chat with Star Sports.