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Team India head coach Rahul Dravid hailed skipper Rohit Sharma for his decision to go with Ravi Bishnoi over a pacer for the second Super Over of the third T20I against Afghanistan in Bangalore on Wednesday.
In a see-saw battle that saw an international game decided by a double Super Over for the first time in history, India scored only 11 runs in the second one-over shootout. Yet, Rohit went for leg-spinner Bishnoi to defend the seemingly below-par score.
The 23-year-old did not disappoint, picking up two wickets in three balls to end Afghanistan's fight and lead India to a 10-run victory.
At the post-match press conference, Dravid detailed the possible reasoning behind Bishnoi bowling the second Super Over.
"I think Rohit went with his gut, he went with a call... I think he felt that the spinner had a better chance to take those two wickets. It was one of games when 11 wasn't probably a huge score and where you know that if they batted those six balls, with the power they had, they probably would've got the 12 runs. You needed to take two wickets. I think it was a great call from the skipper to go with the spinner," said Dravid.
In one of the most thrilling T20Is, India and Afghanistan were deadlocked at 212 each in regulation, leading to a Super Over. However, the one-over tussle saw both teams score 16, meaning another Super Over was required to determine the winner.
Earlier, Rohit scored a magnificent fifth T20I century with a 69-ball 121 to bail India out of trouble from 22/4.
"I thought Bishnoi was brilliant" - Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid praised Ravi Bishnoi for holding his nerves and bowling the perfect length to pick up two wickets in the second Super Over to help India script a memorable victory.
Despite enduring a rough outing in the original 20-over game with figures of 0/38 in four overs, the leggie showed tremendous resilience to outfox the Afghan batters in the extra period.
"He could've gone for two sixes but I thought Bishnoi was brilliant, because he bowled two superb balls. He pulled the length back... if the length had gone slightly fuller, the way they were batting, on this small ground it would've gone for a six. I think it was really good gut call from Rohit to go for the wickets and be more positive rather than probably a safer option which people would've expected," said Dravid.
Bishnoi's heroics meant India completed a 3-0 series whitewash of Afghanistan and kept their unbeaten T20I record against their Asian rivals intact.
The focus for Team India now shifts to Test cricket as they take on England in a five-match series, starting in Hyderabad on January 25.
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